One Day
by geea2
Summary: Format based on the story format of "One Day" by David Nicholls. Chronicles the relationship of Dom and Letty on the same day year after year.
1. September 1, 1995

**This fic has been a long time in coming. I think I've probably read every TFATF fic on this website as long as it had marginally logical grammar. It has been after multiple reviews of others that I finally feel ready to have my very own. This fic's format it based loosely on the format of "One Day" by David Nicholls. Basically it chronicles the same couple on the same day, year after year. However I would be amiss if I did not say that the many fics of Lamanth have aided me in getting to this point. So I hope this doesn't blow!**

September 1, 1995 Los Angelos, CA, USA

In the neighborhood that had recently been described as "The Most Likely Area in LA to lose your wallet", in one nondescript two-story house run down by years of nature's abuse and poor upkeep, on the second floor stood one Leticia Ortiz. She stood five foot seven and had just realized, exactly two hours before her first day of junior year, that she had legitimate boobs.

"Jesus," she hissed as she stood in front of her bathroom mirror. When had this happened? Just last May Vince, her surrogate step-brother and royal pain in the ass, had teased her for her bee stings. Now, a cool three months later, she realized that she had grown.

"Don't take the Lord's name in vain," her mother's hissed words filled the bathroom as she opened the door and threw in a piece of white clothing. Letty caught it easily and silently wondered how her mother could possibly know that she would come to this realization and know her new size without a touch or comment.

"She is good," Letty muttered to herself.

As Ana Ortiz walked back down the stairs toward her kitchen she grinned, it was oddly reminiscent of her daughter's cocky smirk, and thought to herself, "I'm good."

XOXO

The summer that had officially ended last night had been one of the best that Letty could recall in years. She had lived in Mexico the first five years of her life and then Puerto Rico for the next five as her mother followed her father from one job to another. Although Alejandro Ortiz had been a gifted artist, his zest for booze depleted their money and his opportunities over and over, until the day Ana had enough and took herself and Letty to California to live with her sister and mother. With barely enough money to buy groceries Ana had worked her way through school, earning her high school diploma, and became the shift manager of a local grocery chain. Ana had slaved extra hours all year to afford for Letty to take a trip to New York City where her mother and sister had relocated. Letty would always be eternally grateful for the experience of a lifetime.

Letty's thoughts were drawn back to the present as she walked into the kitchen of Tony Toretto, the neighborhood moral and ethic enforcer. At the age of eleven, with only a few English phrases under her belt, she had been caught in his garage stealing anything she could get her hands on. Even at that tender age she had wanted to investigate every inch of any car she could. He had caught her and his only response was a dry, slightly amused, comment in easy Spanish, "if you want to learn come here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday after school."

Over time she had developed a strong relationship with Tony, feeling just as much his daughter as Mia. Her friendship with Mia had developed as quick but it wasn't without its drama. It had taken both of them a long time to realize that neither of them had to change in order to be close. Now Dominic, he was a whole other can of worms. She had taken one look at him and had been instantly infatuated. He loved cars, he loved his family, he was magnetic, and so she had decided that he would be hers. Unfortunately he hadn't been as responsive as his sister and father. She only seemed to annoy him and over time despite his annoyance he had determined that he would be her protector. Like she was a simple extension of Mia! Letty had finally come to the conclusion last year that if he was going to be a douche bag and bang nasty skanks day in and day out then she was too good for him.

"Letty girl? Is that you?"

Letty turned and grinned at Tony and immediately went into his arms for a hug. He held her close and then pulled back enough to look her over, "what have you done with yourself over this summer?"

"I can't get started about the cars I saw on the East Coast before school because the whole conversation could take days," she gushed.

Tony laughed, it was deep and soothing. Though he was 42-years-old he was good looking. Tall, tanned, he shaved his head bald and he had laughing, empathetic brown eyes. He was pure Italian and his mix with his deceased Dominican wife had created quite a gorgeous pair of children.

"I want to hear all about it," he replied.

"Mr. T," Vince walked into the kitchen and stopped in his tracks. Dom bumped into him from behind. Vince's gaze was riveted to Letty's body.

"Hey Vince," Letty grinned at him

"What the fuck V," Dom muttered.

"Dominic," Tony chastised, "no cussing in front of ladies."

"What lady-" Dom stopped suddenly. His jawed dropped as he looked at Letty from top to bottom. Both nineteen-year-olds were shell shocked.

"What are you staring at," Letty asked, scowling.

Mia walked down the stairs at that moment. She squealed the moment she saw Letty and ran into her arms. Finally Mia drew back and said what everyone was thinking, "Letty your boobs are huge!"

XOXO

In a car garage a few blocks down in the same neighborhood Dom sat chewing a piece of sandwich thoughtfully later that day. It hadn't taken a genius to know that Letty had once fancied him her personal possession. She had staked her claim on him in the sixth grade. She wasn't like a normal girl, she didn't bat her eyelashes or send him love notes. She just made it a point to fix the car she was working on faster than him. She just worked over time to be knowledgeable of every new technology on the market. What was crazy was that she actually loved cars, and it was as if she knew that eventually that would be the tie that would bind them. He had never really paid her much attention. Sure she worked four days a week at the garage, and spent weekends with Mia at the house, but he had never really thought of her. Then today she had shown up after a summer away looking completely different but acting as if nothing had changed. He told Vince as much when his best friend questioned his contemplative silence.

Vince nodded, "dude, did you see her boobs? God damn, if I didn't know her better I'd say they were trademark silicone."

For some reason his comment irritated Dom. He shoved Vince, "don't talk about her like that."

"Like what? It didn't take an eye doctor to see that the new Letty boobage and the old Letty shirt was going to cause a problem."

Dom just scowled. He didn't like that Vince had noticed her boobs. He didn't like that suddenly she had boobs! He especially didn't like that Mia had talked her into taking down three buttons on the white button-up uniform shirt they wore. The glimpse of cleavage he had seen before she and Mia had left for school had made his heart stop.

"Hey guys," Dom was snatched out of his thoughts again when he realized that Letty was in front of them. Normally she came to the back to talk before they went in to work. Today was no different. She had probably changed into her wife beater and the garage coveralls at the house before driving over. The problem was everything was different. She had tied the arms of the coveralls at her hips, the wife beater was oil stained and loose, and her boobs really did look perky and full. She had pulled her hair into a customary ponytail and was looking at them expectantly.

"Are you two going to speak today or are you going to look at my tits," she asked.

Dom snatched his attention back to her face, "are you going to put on a shirt?"

She frowned, "I am wearing a shirt."

"You're wearing a wife beater in a garage full of men. Stop flaunting yourself," he chastised her.

"Dom, listen carefully," she paused and leaned closer to him, one hand on her hip, "fuck off."

He watched her walk into the garage and had to put a firm hand on his control, refusing to follow her in and cause a scene in his father's garage. Vince grinned at him, "you feeling her Dom?"

"Fuck off," he muttered before he stood and decided to take a walk.

XOXO

"I want to have a growth spurt desperately," Mia told Letty dramatically as she fell back onto her bed. She turned to her side and propped herself on her side to watch Letty comb a tangle out of her chronically chaotic hair.

"I didn't even know I had a growth spurt until Dom started to act like an even larger asshole than usual," Letty replied.

Mia had already heard the story of Dom's rude comments at the garage. She had her own thoughts on his behavior, "you know he's only acting like an ass because suddenly cars and skanks aren't the only thing giving him a hard on."

"Yeah right. He's too hard headed these days to even realize anything significant," Letty argued and then growled at herself as the tangle was finally pulled free.

"Think about it Letty," Mia implored, "you've been into him forever and now suddenly you're the perfect package. He's been avoiding this forever but now you finally have the tools to turn him to your way of thinking."

"I'm not even interested anymore," she lied. She was interested all right, but she wasn't interested in becoming one of those submissive women who followed her man's thoughts and actions. She had seen what that led to, she'd had a front row seat. If he thought he'd get away with being rude because he felt like it and she'd just follow him then he had another thing coming.

"I say that you make this interesting," Mia suggested.

After a moment Letty looked at her through the mirror, "I'm listening."

"Daddy has a race this Saturday in Santa Clara, he won't be back until Sunday morning. You know we'll end up at the street races, Dom will probably have a party. I say we show off your newest," Mia rose an eyebrow, looking every inch a Toretto, "assets."

XOXO

"Fuck no," Letty was about to turn around and rip off the top that Mia had coerced her into putting on. It was cheetah print, which was reason enough to hate it, and did funky things to her newly developed boobs that made Letty blush to the roots of her hair. Tony was in Santa Clara and her mother was working an overnight shift so there was no chance that either of them would see her but the idea that anyone would see her was enough to give her heart palpitations.

"Would you stop blushing and really look at yourself," Mia argued.

Letty stopped and opened her eyes. She didn't even recognize herself. The bell bottoms that were coming back into style showed off her butt, which was one thing, but this top…how did other girls run around in these tops and not worry about serious nipple slip?

"Letty, I'm not just saying this because I put you together, you look great! My brother could do much much worse," she told her old friend.

"Madre de Dios," Letty murmured. She was nervous. She never got nervous!

"We're late to the races, just enough to be fashionably late," Mia told her. She had just slithered into her own jeans and beaded top.

"I don't think I can drive," Letty admitted.

Mia knew what a concession that was for Letty so she just nodded, "I will, and then we'll come back and discuss the night's events!"

XOXO

Dom was on edge. Mia and he had argued earlier about her and Letty showing up for the racing and following after party. Everything in Dom told him not to allow any of his horny friends to see how much Letty had grown.

"You going to race or what? You haven't put down any cash yet," Vince commented. Normally it was the first thing they did.

"I'm waiting for the girls," Dom replied.

"I see a whole mess of girls all ready here," Vince commented as he winked at a scantily clad blond.

Dom noticed a hush to his left and turned. He almost groaned. Everyone would want a piece of Letty now. She was standing beside her car with Mia, a group of drivers all ready surrounding them. He just knew that he was going to end up in a fist fight tonight.

"God damn," Vince whistled.

"Is that Letty," Dom heard someone mutter as he approached the girls. Dom's blood began to boil.

Letty spotted him and seemed relieved to see him, "hey-"

She stopped abruptly as Dom grabbed her arm and pulled her to the edge of the crowd. She pulled away, her angry face on, "what the fuck Dom?"

He grabbed her again, pulled her up close to him, "what are you doing coming here in front of all of these people dressed like a whore?"

Letty's eyes widened and for just one instant he saw the pain that his thoughtless words had caused. She tried to pull away but he just tightened his grip. Finally she stopped fighting and got into his face, "you're an asshole Dom. You're going to let me go or I swear to God you will regret it."

Dom was afraid of one person, his father, and even then he was just afraid of disappointing him. Letty's words and the emotion barely contained in them made him pause. He loosened his grip and then shook his head as if clearing it of a fog, "you make me crazy."

"Welcome to the club," she replied.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you," he told her.

She rolled her eyes, "whatever."

"Hey," he gently grabbed her wrist as she walked away. She stopped and barely glanced at him, "let me walk with you."

"Everyone knows that you'll protect me as fiercely as you would Mia," Letty scoffed.

"No," she had misunderstood him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and looked down at her. Her eyes widened, "let me walk with you."

It took a moment but then she shrugged, "Whatever."


	2. September 1, 1996

**An excellent point was brought to my attention. Every chapter will begin on the same day but it may continue on for a day or two for the sake of fitting in all of the things I want you to experience with this couple. Sorry for any confusion.**

September 1, 1996

The shit was about to hit the fan. Mia and Vince shared a glance that clearly conveyed a whole conversation. When Dom showed up Letty was going to kill him. Shoot him dead, strangle him, or stab him through the heart. Either way, Mia was about to become an only child.

"Should we say anything," Vince murmured the question. The very last thing he wanted was for Letty to turn her murderous gaze onto him.

Mia looked at Letty. She was pacing in the backyard, waiting to pounce on Dom the moment he pulled into the driveway. She shook her head no, and meant it. Her brother was about to get the wake up call of a lifetime and she didn't want to miss one moment of it trying to stop the runaway train that was her best friend.

The dark green 1993 Mazda RX 7 roared up the driveway and Mia and Vince crowded by the sink. The window opened so they could hear and it showed the entire backyard. The car turned off and Dom stepped out. He lifted his sunglasses and looked at Letty. In the year since the day he had staked his claim on her he had grown to know her in ways that he had never known before. One look and he knew that he was about to get it.

"What's up Let," he asked the question softly, waiting to hear her response, and then start yelling accordingly. One of the reasons she had caught his attention was her no-nonsense attitude, however that attitude also made her a powder keg. Their fights were epic, the stuff of legend.

"What's up," if it was possible she said it softer then he had. She turned and lifted the box she had thrown onto the lawn earlier. She chuckled to herself but it sounded bitter as she repeated it to herself, "que pasa?"

"Oh shit," Vince muttered.

Letty dumped the box over onto the lawn and then threw the box to the side. There was only three feet separating them and in between them was a pile full of thongs and other assorted women's clothing. The problem was that none of them belonged to Letty and all of them had been found in the back of his closet. On top of the pile was one small black book filled with phone numbers, and one sticky page had had a used condom decaying on it.

"Letty," Dom said her name with a hint of warning right before she flew at him, claws unsheathed. He caught at her but he wasn't fast enough to dodge a series of slaps and kicks without hurting her. Finally he wrapped his arms around hers. They were chest to chest and when she looked up at him he had to suck in a breath because there was anger the likes of which he had never seen before within them.

"Let me walk with you," she taunted him with his own words. She struggled but she was sweating and now the tears that had been buried deep were threatening to well and spill over. She blew out a harsh breath, "get off of me, you asshole."

He released her but she stayed chest to chest with him. He spread his arms wide, "what do you want me to say? I'm sorry, okay? None of them meant anything. They were all nameless, faceless race whores. You're who I'm with Letty. You know that."

Her eyes widened, "I know that? I know that it's acceptable for you to fuck every two bit hussy that walks into your line of vision? I know that I'm supposed to be okay with that, like that's my due?"

"Letty," Dom's tone of voice was condescending and that was when Tony Toretto stepped up behind Mia and Vince to see what held their gazes.

Letty began to shake, her whole body quivered as she fought an internal war between rage and complete pain. Dom took a step back but she stepped forward, not giving him the space to lie to her now, "fuck you Dominic Toretto! I never want to see you again. I never want to hear your voice or smell your aftershave. I wish to God that I had never met you."

Dom hissed in a breath, "Letty you are blowing all of this out of proportion. They were race whores for Christ's sake!"

"Listen Dom," she yelled at him to get his attention. She took a deep breath, "I am not with you anymore. You can fuck every woman who walks past you. You can go to races and drape yourself in race whores. I deserve better than this."

"You're being stupid Letty," he told her, his voice scathingly, like she was just a petulant child.

"Dominic," Tony whispered his son's name, shaking his head because his son was fucking the entire situation up. Mia and Vince turned to him in stunned surprise, they hadn't even realized that he had crept up behind them,

"Well then I'll be stupid all on my own. Because being with you after all of this, being with you when you think that you are so much better than me, would make me a real fucking fool," she began to walk away and suddenly stopped as if realizing she'd forgotten something. She walked up to him and punched him in the mouth with all the muscle she could put into it.

"Letty," he growled her name. It was only with slim control that he held his temper. If he ever laid a hand on a woman his father would tear his ass apart.

"Walk by your damn self," she sneered before turning on her heel and stomping off.

Dom stood watching long after she was out of his sight. He tried to shrug his shoulders and move but he simply stood, one hand rubbing his bleeding lip, and stared after her.

XOXO

Ana gently rubbed Letty's hair back from her forehead. Letty had walked into the house, sat in front of her, and had laid her head in her lap. So simple a motion for such a complex young woman. Mia had followed ten minutes later and had simply sat beside Letty on the floor, her head on Ana's other leg. She had been given the massive job of helping to raise these two girls and sometimes their struggles hurt her as deeply as it hurt them.

"Did something happen with Dom," she finally asked the question.

Letty nodded her head yes but didn't speak. It was a sign that if she spoke her voice would break and that would be a weakness. If there was one thing her daughter did not do it was cry. Being vulnerable enough to allow some of the good in life in would be one of the bigger challenges she had to face.

Mia quietly relayed the story to Ana with Letty snorting and huffing as she repeated Dom's insensitive words.

"Oh baby, your poor heart must be so bruised," Ana whispered. She spoke in whispers most of the time. Letty could hear her talking from rooms away sometimes because she had been trained to listen to softly spoken words at an early age. Both of them had learned that it was easier to talk so low that your voice was barely audible rather than wake up a sleeping drunk.

Letty squeezed her eyes shut, blocking out the truth of her mother's words. Her heart wasn't just bruised; it felt as if she'd never be able to breathe again. This was what Tony and her mother had been talking about. When it had become apparent to their parents that Dom and Letty had gained a more "affectionate" relationship both parents had tried to talk each of them out of it. Tony had said that he didn't want Letty to be hurt and to feel like the Torettos were no longer family. Ana had said that she didn't want Letty to become so attached that she didn't realize that she was losing herself. Both had stressed contraception and neither of them allowed them to be alone in any bedrooms at any time.

"You were right Mami. You were right," Letty finally whispered.

"Letty," Mia said her name imploringly. Her best friend's heart ache felt like her own.

"No," Ana sat back so both girls had to look up at her, "I thought you would lose yourself in him. I have worried for years that you would be mistreated and think that it was okay. I was worried you would think that there was nothing better. I let you grow up seeing me suffer and smile through it. I never wanted you to think that was okay. Dominic is a good boy but he is not ready to be a good man. A good man will treat you well and you'll always have a secret with him."

"What secret," Mia asked.

Ana bent down in her chair and looked both girls in the eyes, "a good strong man usually has a mask on. It's a mask that hides his heart from the world so that it cannot be hurt by cavalier actions and words. He will protect and provide because it will be all that he knows how to do. He'll let you see behind the mask and that will be the secret because the whole world will see his strength, his weakness, his actions; but you will see his heart, his thoughts, and his best intentions. That, my beautiful girls, will be a man worth following."

XOXO

Dom turned the wrench again and was surprised to hear a pop followed by a slowing hissing. The tire began to deflate almost instantly. He threw the wrench to the ground with a muffled, "fuck!"

He stood to go grab another tire and ran straight into his father. At the age of twenty Dom stood the same height as his father, maybe not as stocky, but certainly built. Even so, the look on Tony's face gave Dom pause.

"Is that the second tire you've destroyed in twenty minutes," Tony asked.

Dom shrugged, "what of it? I'll pay for them."

"Don't talk to me like that boy," Tony's voice was strong and deep, it was not a voice that people often tested.

"Sorry, Pop," Dom replied. He'd been a bear all day. It didn't help that half a dozen guys had asked him who had split his lip and Vince had grinned and told everyone the story over and over.

"Let's go take a walk son," Dom knew that his father wasn't offering or requesting, it was an order.

As he walked side by side with his father toward the small grocer that they owned he felt his father's anger. Tony wasn't a man that had to yell for someone to know he was angry, he was the kind of guy who chose his words carefully and tried to diffuse situations. But when he was unhappy, when his anger was fully realized, it seemed to radiate off of him. That, Dom realized, was the situation at hand.

"I really will pay for the tires Pop," Dom told him.

"I know you will," Tony replied. He paused a moment before finally speaking, "Dominic Anthony Toretto, you are my son, my first born. I've loved you since the moment your mother told me she was pregnant."

"I know," Dom replied. And he did. His father would die for him or Mia in a moment with no hesitation. Come to think of it, his father would throw down the gauntlet for anyone he considered family.

"I love you, but sometimes I wonder where I went wrong with you."  
>"Pop!"<p>

"I wonder where I went wrong. Was it after your mother passed? God bless the dead," he murmured, almost as an after thought. He rubbed his bald head, a sign of how thoughtful he was feeling at the moment, "you were only fourteen. Maybe I should have had a stronger hand with you. I thought that if we could talk then you would be open to learn and you would see that certain behavior is not acceptable."

It dawned on Dom heavy and hard. Vince had confirmed that his father had heard at least some of his and Letty's argument. He sighed, "you're mad about Letty breaking up with me."

"Hell no," Tony denied. He rarely swore and when he did it was always surprising, "I was proud of her for standing up for herself. Looking at it without me being your father; a young woman that I'm very fond of and think of as a daughter was being mistreated by her boyfriend. He verbally and emotionally abused her and tried to bring her down, he tried to make her think that she deserved to be cheated on. He tried to make her think that she was less than because he was just simply better than her."

Dom felt his face flame as embarrassment flooded him. Tony took a seat on a bench and waited until Dom followed suit before continuing, "I've tried to show you what makes up a good man."

"You have Pop," Dom replied quietly.

"If that's true then it means that your behavior was all on a whim. It means you hurt Letty for no reason other than the fact that you are selfish and cold hearted. I don't think that's true. I think that you're learning what it takes to become a good man, and inevitably a good man is only made whole with a good woman. I don't care if both you and Letty move on, I'll still love you both. But I do care if you don't take this as a lesson one way or another. I did not raise you to speak to women in that condescending tone. Your mother did not raise you to use a woman's emotions against her."

"I know."

Tony nodded, his anger fading, "Letty has been through a lot in this life Dom, just like you. She's going to be a woman who stands beside a deserving man and holds his hand through all of the hard things that life can throw out. She is worth far better then she knows. A good man can look at his woman and be brave enough to show her his true colors knowing she will hold his secrets close. A real man can look at his woman and be honest, he can show the world whatever he wants but with her he will always show a reflection of his heart."

"Is that how you were with Mom," Dom asked.

Tony grinned and sat back, relaxation written onto his expression as he thought of his wife, "Dom I never had a chance with your mom. She walked into my life, cut through all of my bullshit, and took my breath away."

XOXO

The doorbell rang but Letty was reluctant to go to it. Dom had been coming by for a whole week. She refused to see him each and every time. She avoided the garage despite missing the work desperately. She just wasn't ready to see him again. It was all still too raw. However, her mother was doing an overnight shift and she just couldn't stand the thought of the doorbell ringing over and over.

She opened the door and her jaw fell. Dom stood in front of her. Anyone else would have said that he looked pissed. Letty looked at him and saw the agony written in his eyes.

"Jesus, tell me it isn't Mia," her voice broke. Something had gone horribly wrong, because the last time she'd seen this look it had been when his mother died.

Dom shook his head no, "my father died this morning."

"Oh my God," Letty pulled him into her arms, squeezing him to her. She felt him take a ragged breath as she held him protectively. She pulled him into her house, she didn't want anyone to see him this way. He kept moving them until she sat back onto the fourth step of the staircase, he laid his head on her breasts and she held him to her. She could never let him go she realized past the haze of devastation. Letty knew that a good man had suddenly let her see past his mask and trusted her to hold his truth close.


	3. September 1, 1997 PART 1

**For the first full year that Dom will be in prison I'm going to have two chapters for the same year, one chapter about him and one chapter about her. If this gets completely confusing let me know!**

September 1, 1997

Toretto's Little Shop

Letty was standing against the counter of the Toretto's shop as she wrote her letter. She didn't quite know how Mia had talked her into working behind the counter every Wednesday but somehow running the register and creating huge disasters disguised as sandwiches was what she did in the middle of every week. Since Dom had been sentenced to serve five years in Lompoc she had been walking in a fog. People still looked at her as if expecting her to crack. She wasn't sure where they got that from. She had never come off as a weak woman. But something miraculous had happened one year ago. She had been ready to walk away from Dom and her own instincts. Something had told her at the tender age of eleven that Dom was hers. That day one year ago she had been ready to say 'fuck you' to that elusive something and knock his balls up to his chin. And then everything had changed. Tony had died and in light of that terrible tragedy Dom had come to her and finally let her in. Unfortunately he almost beat a man to death a week later. She and Dom had kissed until the police were on the porch with them. Then he let her go, he was cuffed, and she stared after that car for hours. After his sentencing he had turned once to his family. To Vince he had said, "take care of my girls." To Mia he had said, "go to school." To Letty he had simply nodded but in that simple action, so much was conveyed. Suddenly she knew him on a new level that even a year of heavy dating hadn't achieved.

"What are you thinking so hard about," Mia's voice drew Letty out of her thoughts. Letty shrugged, she lifted the paper and let it fall back to the counter. Mia nodded to herself, "that time of the month all ready?"

Letty grinned at the terrible joke, "I'm no good at this writing shit."

"Just write what you would say to him," Mia suggested.

"You make that sound a lot easier than it is." Letty sat down on a chair at the counter and chewed on her pen. What were women supposed to write to their men when they were incarcerated? Was their a book she could read about this? Fuck, she didn't even like reading unless it was a manual that directly correlated to a car part.

"Personally, I think it's terribly romantic that you two write one love letter a month. I said it all the time that you two would end up together," Mia told her as she made them both sandwiches.

"My mom was right that night, you know. When he let me in I realized why women will go against their better judgment and follow their men. I hope that I don't disappoint him and I really hope he doesn't disappoint me," Letty admitted.

"Why do you say that?"

"I all ready know the worst case scenario, I had a front row seat to a fucked up relationship held together by twisted love. It's like the love that started so good and pure ended up being this sticky quick sand. I know my mother loved my dad, I don't know how she ever had the strength to walk away," Letty admitted.

Mia put a hand on hers and smiled, "she had you to think about."

"Let's hope it never comes to that," she scrunched her nose, "me running away because I have a baby to worry about. Jesus, can you even imagine me with a kid. No doubt I would fuck that up royally."

"You'd be fine! And if you and Dom ever had a rugrat the whole family would be here to support you," Mia took a bite of her sandwich.

"Still, I'll leave the baby making up to you," Letty replied.

Mia rolled her eyes, her sex life was non-existent these days. She hadn't met anyone that she was willing to risk Dom and Vince's wrath over. She wanted exciting, forbidden love desperately. She told Letty as much.

Letty huffed, "you say that now, but you won't be saying it when you're in the middle of the deep."

"Just write the freaking letter," Mia left her to go sit in the back and go over the books.

Letty sighed and finally started writing, it might end up being stupid but what the hell, she could always kick his ass when he got out if he made fun of her.

**Dominic Toretto #1053260**

**FCI Lompoc**

**Federal Correctional Facility**

**3600 Guard Rd**

**Lompoc, CA 93436**

_Dear Dom,_

_ You've almost been away for a whole year. When you come home you so owe me a massage. You may be asking yourself why. Well I'll tell you! Vince has decided that he's in love with Mia. Yes, your sister. You know that he'd always been kind of infatuated with her, but yesterday he gave a grand announcement stating his interest. He asked her to go to Cha Cha Cha, a new seedy Cuban joint, this Friday. She told him that she had to wash her hair. Poor guy looked like an old coyote drifting through the world all alone._

_ Speaking of Mia she was accepted into UCLA and she was going to turn it down. She thought that she should focus on the bookkeeping at the garage and running the store. I told her that you'd have Vince's head, and probably mine too, if she didn't go on. She agreed to go part time. _

_ I fired the new hand at the garage. He stole some money. He probably didn't think I'd call him out on it. Yes, he did try to intimidate me. And yes, I decked him. To be fair, he'd earned it. Vince dragged his ass out into the street and made him into a walking advertisement: Don't fuck with this family._

XOXO

Toretto Household, following Saturday

Letty and Vince sat down heavily at the kitchen table. Saturday nights used to be a time of constant partying and electric emotion as racers slid into the fourth gear a split second before crossing the finish line. Now they were what marked the end of one more long week.

Mia sat across from them and counted out their earnings, only two grand today. The big racers were at Race Wars racing for big money. Money she and Vince couldn't afford to lose. Over the last year she and Vince had become closer, bonding over the life they were trying to protect. Vince tried to step into the large shoes that had once belonged to Tony in Dom's absence, feeling he owed the father and son more then he'd ever be able to pay back for the years they had allowed him a position in a real family. Unfortunately he had never wanted to be the alpha male, he much preferred being able to come and go as he pleased with the grunt of the family's dilemmas on someone else's shoulders. But in his best friend's absence he worked tirelessly in the garage, he played gigs with his band frequently, and he went to races with Letty knowing that Dom would want to know that even if she didn't need it she had someone around to watch out for her.

Letty was a whole other story. She felt like, as Dom's woman, she had an obligation to make sure that the things he held closest were protected. She didn't think she'd be able to take it if he came home and found everything wanting. The neighborhood, which had been less than picturesque before, had become more dangerous as gangs assimilated the area. Jobs were tight and they were feeling the pain from the lack of business. But Letty was determined. Dom had fucked up, his anger and his loose reign on his temper, had cost everyone the loss of the one man they needed more than anyone else in the wake of Tony's death. But Letty knew that he was well aware of that fact, she also knew that not being able to be home taking care of business was frustrating the hell out of him. Tony had raised him well, Dom knew where his place was.

"We'll be able to pay the mortgage," Mia murmured as she made calculations.

Vince and Letty released a sigh of relief. As long as they had a roof over their heads they would be able to make it another month. Vince had moved into the attic about six months before because he couldn't afford his rent when he was paying so many of the utilities at the house as well. It made life a little awkward because Vince had attempted to stake a claim on Mia. A fact that Letty believed was more because he didn't have time to get to know any other women. She didn't say that out loud though.

"We have to pay at least the minimum payment for the electricity," Mia was talking more to herself then to them.

Vince sat back in his chair and sipped his Corona. He glanced at Letty, "you missing him?"

Letty glanced at him sharply. Had something in her face given her away? She shrugged noncommittally, "you know what it is man."

"Yeah," Vince nodded to himself, he had about twenty minutes before he had to leave for a late gig with his band, "I miss my best friend. You miss your man. Mia misses her brother. It's a fucked up situation."

"We'll get through it," Mia suddenly spoke up. When Vince and Letty looked at her she put her pencil down, "Daddy taught us that your closest friends were the people you could call family. He always said choose wisely. We're a family and a team, and we'll get through it."

Letty nodded because she was right. It was going to be these times that cemented their ties. Later she sat at the kitchen table, sipping a Corona, and finished her letter.

_I hate to fill the one letter a month that I write with this bullshit but it's unavoidable. Money is tight. Vince and I have started to street race again. I know that it was your express wish for me not to race but if the two of us didn't then we would have all ready had to close the store. We make 2-4 G's every weekend. It's keeping everything rolling and Mia in school. I know you're going to be mad but remember that we're working so that you'll have something to come home to. By the way I love the new shaved head look. Yes, I looked up your new inmate picture on the web. I swear that computers are the coolest things ever. Then again, maybe not cooler than cars. I wonder how we ever got by without them. _

_ I miss you._

_Letty_


	4. September 1, 1997 PART 2

**Super short chapter, mostly because jail is boring, trust me! Next chapter will have both Letty and Dom's POV, I'll try my best to make it as easy to read as possible.**

Lompoc Correctional Facility

Dom sat at a round table in the common area of his prison. His days consisted of endless workouts either outside at the weight bench or in his cell doing push ups over and over. He had stopped feeling sore, there was an ache now that was oddly therapeutic. Prison was meant to be a place for punishment and rehabilitation, or that's what the warden had said that first day. Dom understood the punishment part. It was the rehabilitation part that confused him. Was this meant to be a test? All ready he was unable to apply for probation this year because he had been tested and had to react accordingly or end up someone's bitch. The other prisoner, a hardened convict with a penchant for shooting the women he raped in the head while he came, had been unrecognizable. Dom had ended up with a scar he'd carry on his left flank for life. The result? He was rarely fucked with. He didn't sign onto any gangs or groups, he was solitary and now it was well established. And then a week ago he'd gotten a new cell mate named Leon. The intuition that his father had painstakingly developed in his son told Dom that the man would end up being a friend.

"Who you writing to," Leon asked as he sat across from Dom.

Dom looked up, quiet for a long moment before admitting, "my woman. We write once a month."

"Shit, man, I wish I had someone who would write to me," Leon complained as he lit a Marlboro.

"No family," Dom asked.

Leon shook his head, "no. Just a lot of regrets disguised as people."

"What are you in for," he asked. That had to be the most frequently asked question in prison. It invited friendship, or at least an odd companionship, so Dom rarely asked it.

"Hustling," Leon snorted to himself, "actually more like I was hustling for team A and team B, and neither of them appreciated my entrepreneurial ways."

"Kill or be killed," Dom wondered out loud.

"Got it in one," Leon confirmed, he patted the bandage on the back of his neck, "the bullet grazed me. I bled like a stuffed pig, but before I passed out I got in a lucky shot. The self-defense angle kept me from 25 to life. You?"

"Almost beat a man to death," Dom replied.

"Did he deserve it?"

Dom thought for a long moment, the final moments of his father's life etched in his memory forever crept up, he felt like he was being strangled. Finally he nodded curtly.

Leon rose and crushed out his cigarette, "I'll let you get back to your letter."

Dom focused on the paper and wrote quickly in his usual scribbled writing style. He read what he wrote before rolling his eyes and tossing the paper. He started again, this time slowly.

**Leticia Ortiz**

**175 Clark St**

**Los Angelos, CA 90022**

_Dear Letty,_

_I'm glad to hear that Vince moved in. I didn't like the idea of you and Mia alone in the house. It seems like all I do these days is an endless cycle of push-up. I run a lot too, it's the closest thing to speed you can get here. During my hour outside a day I run until I can almost pretend the breeze is coming through the window of my Mazda. I run until I can imagine shifting gears and looking over to see your pretty ass parked in my passenger seat riding the wave with me._

XOXO

Dom woke up in a cold sweat. He dreamed a lot these days. Sometimes they were nightmares and sometimes they were fantasies. This time it was a mix. He had been with Letty and then suddenly she was being pulled from him by a shadow. He just knew that the shadow was death. The same shadow that had swallowed his father whole. It had been two weeks since Leon had been sent to solitary. Like Dom, he had been tested and passed, no one would be fucking with him again. Unfortunately with any test against another person came a test of mental strength. Solitary confinement was hell the likes of which most people never knew. He hated to admit it, but being alone in his cell for twenty hours a day seemed like a fresh hell without the wise cracking asshole. His nightmares had come so frequently in those two weeks that he had begun to work out even harder, anything to get him tired enough to sleep for a few hours.

He had been in this cell for almost one full year. The milestones of his life passed by in front of his eyes as he stared through the bars. He had become legal here. He had received the letter telling him he would never be able to race on the circuit here. He sometimes wondered if he would remember how to be normal when he left. He sometimes felt like there was no hope for him in this place. But he also knew that once he finally was released that come hell or high water he was not going back. He would die first.

Knowing he wasn't going to be able to sleep without the nightmares crawling over him he got out of bed and began to write.

_ I dreamed of you naked on the Chevelle the other night. The things I did to your body with mine were ambrosia. _

_ I miss you everyday._

_Dom_


	5. September 1, 1998

September 1, 1998

T. Toretto's Garage

Letty opened the front deck to clear out the old stereo so she could replace it. The car had just been dropped off two days before but it was almost complete. She hadn't been able to stop working. She knew that if she stopped she would crumble. There were hours that she couldn't stand to be breathing if it meant that she had to share the same planet with _him_. She worked until the new stereo was all set and then she got out of the car. She stood so quickly that her head spun for a moment. The same thought kept repeating in her mind: my mother is dead. Suddenly everything weighed on her, oppressed everything inside of her, and she went crazy. She spun around, knocking tools to the ground, breaking valuable pieces of equipment. Her lungs heaved with the effort to lift objects and haul them across the garage. Her hair fell around her face in a crazy haze but not one tear fell. She was sucked dry, like there was no moisture at all left to be found anywhere, especially not in her old broken heart.

"What the fuck," she looked toward the door and saw Vince staring around in horror and Leon, the ex-con Dom had told them to hire, in the doorway nodding as if he understood every word that she hadn't even said.

She began to shake, reminiscent of the day she had dumped the box at Dom. She looked around; she had broken the back window of the car. How were they going to pay for that?

"I'm-" she didn't even get to finish her apology before Vince wrapped an arm around her. She turned her head on his chest to take a breath as he held her tight.

"Don't you ever fucking apologize to me," he told her angrily but with so much gruff love that Letty began to shake harder.

"Come on Letty girl," Leon motioned the two friends out of the garage, "we'll take care of all the other shit tomorrow."

**Dominic Toretto #1053260**

**FCI Lompoc**

**Federal Correctional Facility**

**3600 Guard Rd**

**Lompoc, CA 93436**

_Dear Dom,_

_ My mother died peacefully yesterday. I know Mia called you last week to tell you what happened. She was working an overnight when the man came in and tried to rob the place. She tried to talk him out of it. According to the witnesses she had almost talked him into fleeing before the cops could come. A man tried to tackle him and he shot her. We had her on life support the whole week before the doctors told me it was a lost cause. In the end it was her body but it almost looked like her spirit had gone away. _

_I understand now Dom. This rage feels like it will choke me. _

_Letty_

XOXO

Lompoc Correctional Facility

Dom paced his cell like a caged lion. Ana had been more than his girlfriend's mother, she had been a surrogate parent to him. As close as Letty had been to Tony, Mia and Dom had become just as attached to Ana. Tony and Ana had frequently helped one another, watching the three, or often four of them including Vince, as needed when they had been younger. Ana had single handedly fed the entire Toretto family during the last months of his mother's illness. She had sat at Isabel's funeral with Mia in her lap. The idea that some crazy asshole had shot one of the most loving woman he'd ever met made his blood boil. The thought of Letty going through what he had without him being there to support her the way she had supported him broke his spirit.

In the wake of Tony's death, after he had peeled himself off of Letty, Dom had been broken. Ana had arrived on the scene and taken care of all of the arrangements. She had kept Mia close to her side to console her. The night after Tony's funeral Ana sat across from him at her kitchen table and told him something he would never forget. She had just checked on Letty and Mia, both were asleep head to foot in her bed.

Dom had been contemplating how numb he felt, every sensation in his body drowned out by the largest loss he could imagine. Ana sat down and spoke in her quiet voice, "look at me Dominic."

He looked up at her immediately; years of respect didn't disappear in the wake of disaster. Dom noticed in that moment that Ana was a beautiful woman and that if his Letty was growing into the copy of her mother then he could count himself a lucky man.

"When you're young it's easy to believe that you will have all the time in the world to right your wrongs and capture your dreams. As you get older you learn that sometimes contentment is the best gift because sometimes that contentment allows you to simply live. Do not allow yourself to fall into a black hole because of this tragedy. Because that's cowardly; that's running. And let me tell you Dominic, running isn't living."

**Leticia Ortiz**

**175 Clark St**

**Los Angelos, CA 90022**

_Dear Letty,_

_ I can't think of any words that will take this all away for you. All I can say is that some day, when I get out of this hellhole, I'm going to take you to a beach in Mexico. I'm going to take you away from the pain and anger. You've always been strong, now you have to be stronger then I was. Take a deep breath and wait for me._

_ I miss you everyday._

_Dom_

XOXO

Toretto Household

Letty lay in bed taking deep breaths. Deep through the nose until she felt the very base of her lungs expanding, and then out through her mouth like she was blowing through a straw. Mia had tried to teach her this technique as a way for her to meditate. Letty snorted to herself, mediation her tanned Latina ass! She was so angry that she couldn't function. She had never been one to throw temper tantrums. Sure, she'd get into a physical altercation in a heartbeat if she thought it was necessary. And she'd been known to break a beer bottle and slice and dice on occasion too. This was different. This was suffocating. Her mother, her rock, the one woman put on the planet to love her no matter her attitude or awkward stages was dead. Ana Ortiz would never again call her down for a traditional Mexican breakfast Christmas morning, or hug her close to surround her with the comfort of her vanilla warmth. It seemed that with her last breath Ana had taken all the good in Letty with her. Now all she wanted was speed. She wanted to be in the driver's seat, gliding into the gears, on a straight line out of Dodge. She wanted to be filled so deeply with her man that the edges were blurred where they were two separate entities. She wanted to fight just to feel the electricity of adrenaline when her fist collided with matter. Most of all, she wanted this to all be some terrible nightmare that she would wake from in a matter of moments. She wanted it all back; that first year really being with Dom, Tony's wise advice, her mother being around for all of the simple moments, and the days before her life had suddenly become a battle just to get through. She wasn't illogical, she knew that nothing about this whole situation would change. But she wished with that small hidden part of her that still believed that if she was good enough, deserving enough, that everything would be okay. And so she laid in bed taking deep breaths. Swallowing down the feeling of drowning in her own grief. Fighting the urge to combust. Learning that sometimes the only person who could save her was herself. Mourning the last of the innocence she had possessed.


	6. September 1, 1999

September 1, 1999

Toretto Household

The butterflies in her stomach were doing cart wheels. She had been waiting for this day for almost three years. Three long years. Letty had held Dom's hand at his father's funeral. She had kissed him long and hard as the cops pulled up to his house to arrest him days later. She had buried her own mother. She had worked 16 hour days and raced every weekend. Everything for this day, for this moment.

"Stop pacing," Mia complained, "you're making me nervous!"

"Why wouldn't he let me pick him up," Letty asked. She propped her butt up onto the kitchen counter and watched Mia take out dish after dish of food. She had made every food that Dom had ever liked.

"Because he wants the guy version of everything that happened, our letters weren't enough because they weren't from the masculine perspective," Mia replied as she unwrapped some food, "check that mac and cheese."

Letty opened the oven and glanced in, "it looks delicious. I never thought I would say this, but do you think I should change?"

"Leticia, I do believe that you are acting just like a girl," Mia taunted her playfully.

"Shut up man," Letty murmured as she covered her face with her hands. Her hands were shaking. She hadn't been able to work yesterday or today. It was like her body had been buzzing since they had found out that Dom had made probation a month earlier. It had been a long three years and some part of her had been sleeping soundly the entire time and was suddenly waking.

"You look good," Mia had pity on her best friend. Letty was wearing a pair of cut off jeans and a black v-neck tee shirt, a simple gold chain adorned her neck and her hair was flowing out, "in fact you're glowing. If I didn't know better I would say you were pregnant."

"Madre de Dios, please don't jinx me," she took out a Corona from the refrigerator and took a seat, determined to calm down before Dom got home. She watched Mia set the table and couldn't help but think of the single year they had shared before Tony had died. In his letters he had always said that he missed her, had he meant it? They had both aged three years, both of their hormones had balanced out. Would he still want her? Would he still be her Dom?

"They're here," Mia squealed in delight.

Letty walked outside and watched as Mia leapt into Dom's arms the moment that the Mazda parked. Her breath caught in her throat. He was sexier than ever. Six foot two of solid tan muscle, a smooth bald head, and a grin that made her toes curl in her converse. That quickly she was a seventeen year old girl again.

Vince walked to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "our boy is back!"

"Yeah," she murmured the response but her gaze was riveted on Dom. He pulled back from Mia and after kissing her forehead he looked around. His gaze found hers and the electricity that flowed between them caught them both off guard.

Letty didn't even realize she had stepped away from Vince, she didn't know she had started to run until she was in his arms with her own arms wrapped around his neck. He held her close to him, pulling her off the ground in an effort to hold her closer. He smelled like Irish Springs soap and the shirt was now way too tight on him.

"Fuck," he groaned into her neck. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled back enough to kiss him. If there was a such thing as the nectar of the Gods it was Dom Toretto's taste. He slid his tongue into her mouth with the same finesse that he had used that first night in the back of the Chevelle. He pulled away long enough to order, "bedroom. Now."

She nodded her agreement and didn't even have to pretend that she could walk on her rubber legs. He carried her into the house, up the stairs and into his old room. He laid her on the bed, wasted no time pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it across the room. He divulged her of the same restrictions and sighed when he could look her over, "you're as beautiful today as you were three years ago."

"I can't wait anymore," she appreciated the sentiment and how nice his words were but her body was going to combust if they didn't get to the main event stat. She clawed at his jeans, yanking them down to his knees. Had she really been so calm and controlled twenty minutes ago? She felt desperate now. She didn't know if she ripped her underwear off or he did, either way it was destroyed.

He didn't take his time after that. He was rough and hard and fast. He still couldn't seem to stop himself from burying his head in her neck and sucking in a deep breath or lowering his head to taste her nipples. Letty couldn't seem to stop cradling him, pulling on him, and gyrating like a maniac against him. He kept his words to a minimum except for the moment right before he joined them together. He pulled one hand through her hair and tongue kissed her like he wanted to swallow her whole, "I can't fuck around this time."

"No one asked you to," she replied. Dom sunk into her so deeply and hotly that she gasped in astonishment. How had she blocked out the feeling of this long enough to make it through three years? He held her body close as they lost themselves in the frenzy of making love. Letty wrapped her legs around his hips and met every move with a throaty groan. They stared at each other as they fucked wildly, both seemed in shock that it could still be this good, that it could still be this electric. And when they came, their bodies slick with sweat, Letty had no control as two tears slid from her eyes.

XOXO

Dom rubbed lazy circles on Letty's right hip as she dozed on and off. Mia was going to come up soon and remind them that the whole neighborhood was coming over for a welcome home party. Truth be told, he could use another two days locked in this room with this woman before he had to face the world. Her body had reached its full maturation and he had to say, it was a nice looking body; tan, lithe, with curves galore. She'd let her hair grow out more and she was wearing the small gold cross that he had given her after he'd won a race a few months after they had started dating.

"Let," he waited until she opened her left eye, "you have the most gorgeous breasts I have ever seen."

"I'm inclined to believe that the first set you saw would be magnificent, but since I appreciate compliments as much as the next woman I'll just say thanks," she closed her eye again. As a side note she added, "and you better not be seeing any other sets either!"

"Tell me about the money and racing," he finally asked.

She sighed and turned toward him. She curled into his side and this time it was her fingers that took a walk, "what's there to talk about? Bad economy in '97, we couldn't recover without supplemental income, Vince and I got the cars together, we've been racing since."

"Where are we at financially," he asked.

"You should ask Mia-"

Dom interrupted her, "Let, just tell me."

She huffed, grasped his cock, "it's bad even with the extra couple grand. Vince is all ready working overtime at the garage, racing, and with his band. Leon has been a saint, he's been helping to run the garage and bring in new clientele. Mia is going to school part time and bookkeeping both shops."

"And you," he asked, and then groaned as she rubbed her thumb over his head, "what do you do?"

"I do cars, it's what I know," she replied. Her voice had gotten rougher, almost breathless.

"You're going to get in trouble doing that," he murmured into her ear.

"I like the sound of that," she grinned up at him as she slithered down his body. He looked down at her and couldn't help but grin, it was just too fucking good to be home.

XOXO

Later as Dom sat at the picnic table with Vince and Leon he finally received his answer. It made his jaw clench and his fists tighten. He had told her that he would take her away from this and now that he was aware of where they stood, as a team, he wasn't sure he'd be able to follow through. She was working crazy hours, days and nights, racing when she wasn't working, and ran parts for a local car parts store in between. There had been some kind of reckoning inside of him while he had been in prison. He had lost his temper and was being punished for it. Because of his lack of control his family had suffered. Coming home to this mess made his protective instincts flair. There was no reason for his sister and his woman to be working themselves into the ground anymore.

"You glad to be home," Leon asked the question, he all ready knew the answer because he knew what it was like to walk out of prison a free man.

Dom took a long sip of his Corona and grinned, "it beats the alternative."

From the other end of the yard Letty was sipping on her third Corona, feeling buzzed with good sex and beer and food. She walked away from the crowd of legitimate racer girls. There were race whores and then there were race wives; the girlfriends of racers who actually believed in sustaining relationships. Letty didn't fall into the category, as she was a racer in her own right, but if there was one female sept in the whole environment that she could stand it was this one. However the whole day had taken a toll on her and she found herself in the garage.

Letty had barely begun to pull the injection pistons out of her car when she felt him near her. She didn't have to turn to know that Dom was a few feet from her, "the Chevelle."

She closed her eyes, forgetting completely that the last time he had seen it his father had been burning to death. She turned, ready to apologize, but then she realized he was caressing the hood and he was smirking just a little bit. She put her Corona down and went to his side, "they wanted to junk it but Vince and I stole it back, so should the cops ask none of us have any idea how this got here. It's almost done, we've just been waiting for money to buy parts to finish the engine."

Dom looked at her and she just knew that he was seeing past every defense she had. He was looking at her like her soul was on display. He came to her and pulled her close to him for a long moment, "thank you Letty. I promise that I'm going to get us out of this situation."

"I don't care if it all goes to hell," she told him sincerely, "as long you're with me and I'm with you."

He nodded and pulled her to him once more. He would get them out of this mess, he had to. As far as heads of the house went he had been doing a piss poor job. That all ended now. He was home and was going to lead his team into the life they had always dreamed of.


	7. September 1, 2000

September 1, 2000

Dom woke up at six-thirty in the morning, which was the same time his father used to get up. He looked over in his bed and had to grin because Letty was at her most vulnerable when she slept. She cuddled into his side, her arm possessive over his stomach, her hair spread across the pillow like a black sheet. He kissed her cheek and then her mouth until she woke enough to return the kiss, and then to finally flip over to continue sleeping. He rose and brushed his teeth. As he brushed he looked himself over in the mirror, he'd had to have Letty or Mia shave his head tonight.

He made his way through the house, checking on Mia, who was sleeping soundly on her bed, her text book still open. He opened the door to the attic, heard Vince's snore and nodded to himself, the old coyote had made it through another night. Finally he walked into the kitchen, two women were just leaving, either Leon had scored a double or Jesse had finally sealed the deal. He rarely went into the two bedroom basement, afraid even he might be traumatized by the sights.

In the back shed he lifted weights on the old weight set his father had bought him in 1990. He lifted until the tension in his muscles told him that he was done for the day. After toweling off he returned to the kitchen, pushed the button on the pre-filled coffee pot, and enjoyed his first cup of coffee in the silence of his house. Unfortunately that was when the stress of their life began to set in. They were still barely holding on despite Dom's best intentions and efforts to swing them into the positive. Everyone counted on him and he found that the stress was alternately stifling and fulfilling.

"Good morning," Mia grumbled as she walked into the kitchen and pulled out a frying pan.

He grinned at her, "morning, baby sister."

"Feeling emotional this morning," she teased him.

"Can't feel happy to see my sister," he wondered.

"Own your feelings. That's what I'm learning in Psych," she replied.

"God damn it all to hell," Vince's loud, brash voice thundered down the stairs. Dom and Mia looked at the ceiling as they heard his loud footsteps walk toward the stairs and finally down the steps. He walked into the kitchen looking angry and oddly repentant in his plaid pajama pants.

"What happened," Dom asked.

Vince pointed to the ceiling, "Letty needs to learn how to use the locks! I walked into the bathroom and who do you think is stark naked as the day she was born?"

Dom couldn't help but grin. Anyone else, even Jesse and Leon, and he probably would have thrown a fit of some sort, but with Vince it was just too funny. It was comparable to Dom seeing Mia naked, just…yucky. Mia must have agreed because she laughed out loud as Vince stomped toward the downstairs bathroom.

"They are just like us," Mia spoke his thoughts out loud.

"Family isn't all blood ties," Dom repeated the words his father used to chant like a mantra.

Mia nodded, recognizing immediately that he was speaking their father's words, "do you miss him?"

"Everyday," he coughed gruffly.

"Me too," Mia admitted quietly. They didn't speak again while she cooked, both caught up in their own thoughts.

XOXO

"Say that to me one more time to my face," Vince challenged. He threw down the dirty rag in his hand and puffed out his chest, menace written all over him.

"I said," Letty didn't know it but she had bobbed her head and put a hand on one hip, the classic ghetto fabulous Latina, "that you wouldn't know your way around a V8 engine with guided directions, comparable to the guidance you require to get a woman off!"

"Letty," Vince warned, telling her how close to losing his temper he felt by simply saying her name.

"Vince," she replied, obviously deciding that either she didn't give a damn about his temper or was willing to chance it.

"Dom, you better come get your girl," Vince warned over his shoulder.

Dom continued to tighten the piston rings in the V8 engine being discussed without a word or look toward the two. As a rule he didn't get involved with the squabbles between the team. Especially Vince and Letty. Their relationship had evolved while he was in prison. Now more than ever they were siblings if not in blood then heart. They argued as heartily and fearlessly as he and Mia did. They both knew that no matter what they would be there for one another.

"Dom, you better come get your boy," Letty taunted.

"Little girl, I will lay you over my knee if you don't learn to shut your mouth," Vince warned her.

"You try and pull me over your knee and I'll break both of them," she stepped closer, ready to make this a physical fight.

Vince finally threw up his arms in surrender, "whatever, I didn't want to be in this hot ass garage all day today anyway!"

As he was walking out Letty ran up to him and shoved him. He turned, surprise written in his eyes, "what now?"

"Don't be mad, coyote. See you at your gig later all right," her temper was gone in a flash.

"Yeah, Let, see you there," he agreed and all was forgiven.

XOXO

Dom walked into the store, greeted Ms. Estevez, a retired widow who he'd known his entire life. He'd given her a part time job to help supplement her income since her grandson had come to live with her. He sat down heavily into his chair in the back room and prepared himself to go through the books for the month. Seeing the truth in black and white was hard for him. Some months he didn't know how they were going to get by. It didn't help that half the time he was feeding Sunday dinner to the entire block, a tradition his father had set before him. He could personally account for the ridiculously large amount of food teenagers ate.

"Hey man," he didn't look up when he heard her walk in or when he heard her words. She knew he copped a big attitude when he was running the books. He heard her sit across from him and saw her boots in his peripheral vision as she propped them on the other end of the desk.

"Get your feet off my table," he growled.

"Make me," she replied. She knew he wasn't going to do a thing which was why she tested him.

"You know what I'm in the middle of Let, why are you messing with me?"

"Maybe you need to be messed with," her quick and low reply.

Dom finally looked up, irritation written on his face. He looked her over and realized exactly what was going on. The signs had all been there; turning away from him that morning, forgetting to lock the bathroom door, getting into a fight with Vince for no reason, and now purposely pushing him. Letty always acted out of character when she had big thoughts on her mind.

"You're in," he asked.

She dropped her feet, and sat forward until her elbows were resting on the table. To anyone else she would have looked completely at ease, to Dom she looked tense and uneasy.

"I'll follow you into hell with a big grin on my face Dominic Toretto," he knew that was the closest version to 'I love you' that he'd probably ever get.

Their relationship was tumultuous, full of arguments and sex and laughter. Although they both knew where they stood in each others lives they didn't often verbally express the sentiment. She didn't because somewhere deep down she believed voicing the intensity of what she felt would immediately have Trouble knocking on their front door. He didn't because somewhere down the line, probably in prison, he had determined that his actions would always speak louder than his words. So the concession that Letty had allowed pushed Dom to respond. He put his pen down and sat back in his chair, "I'd kill for you in a minute, and die for you in an instant."

Letty nodded in agreement, saying in that movement that they understood one another, "you have a plan right? A damned good plan?"

"Yeah," he nodded and then rubbed a hand over his head, a move that Letty found reminiscent of his father, "I have a plan. If we play this right, if we train and execute every move perfectly, then it should be one year and then we're done."

Letty moved back and put her feet onto the desk again, "ride or die."

Dom nodded his agreement and ignored the goose bumps on his neck telling him something big was coming, "ride or die."


	8. September 1, 2001

**If the love scene in this chapter seems familiar it's because the scene was based on a deleted scene from the first movie.**

September 1, 2001

Letty sucked in a breath, finally able to breathe again. She was still straddling Dom on the old bucket seat bench in the back of the garage. She was still impaled by him, connected to him until the last possible moment. He held her head to his chest, showing her love now. They probably had argued and had sex everywhere they spent more than 20 minutes in the past year. Physically they were always in sync, their bodies automatically conforming and moving to give each other the most pleasure possible. However, sex wasn't the only thing they had been participating in over the past year. They had been heisting high end merchandise for almost eleven months. Although it was distinctly possible that the former had met its own natural conclusion. She sighed, she was full of big thoughts.

As if sensing the direction of her thoughts Dom put a hand on her butt and lower back to pull her closer. He kissed her head, "are you worried?"

"Yeah, aren't you?"

Dom didn't want to admit it but yeah, he was desperately afraid. He'd been out of prison for two full years, had jumped head first into a risky situation that could either pay off big or destroy them all, and he'd taken his whole team along for the ride. Now on top of that Mia was spending way too much time with the new racer on the scene, Brian Spilner, and Letty was late. Oh yes, that kind of late. Even though they'd been together for years in actuality they'd only been physically together for three years, however in those years Dom had learned that Letty's cycle was like clock work. Every 28 days without fail. He'd been the one to notice that there hadn't been any four day breaks in their sexual activity in two months. He had been ready to kick his own ass before he'd even questioned her, he wasn't as good with condoms as he should have been. He hadn't anticipated asking her about it yesterday but he couldn't keep it to himself anymore. Everyone had gone home and they were the only two left in the garage, almost finished with the 10 second car that Brian owed him. She'd been installing the new speakers in the trunk, lifting the heavy black boxes like they were nothing. Something in him had been tense and watchful, Dom knew that was how his father must have felt when his mother was pregnant for him and then Mia. He felt an overwhelming desire to take the speaker from her and tell her to sit. Of course if he had done that then she would just tell him to fuck off and finish the job just to spite him. Finally Dom rose and stood in front of her.

"What's up man," she asked, confusion on her face. They didn't usually start arguments with silence, it always stemmed from a preexisting dispute.

"Do you think you could be pregnant," he asked. Tiptoeing around issues had never been their style.

Letty's eyes widened in complete surprise. If he had called her a purple elephant she wouldn't have been more surprised. Her first response was to shove him, he barely moved an inch, "why would you say that?"

"You haven't had a period in two months," he replied.

She thought back, they had been heisting merchandise more and more as of late, tempting fate. One of these day one of the truckers was going to start shooting or the cops were going to catch up with them. She took a second to really think and groaned. She really hadn't had a period since the end of June. She dropped her head into her hands, "fuck."

"You think it's possible," he asked.

Everything in his body language was tense, he looked very serious. She didn't think he was trying to put blame on her though, "we have sex all the time, we don't always use protection. You're a young stud, and I'm in my prime baby making years. Of course it's possible!"

Dom pulled her into his arms, showing the softer side of himself that he only allowed Letty to see. He had taken his father's words seriously that day so many years ago. He let her touch something inside of him that he didn't let anyone else come near. He cupped her face and kissed her tenderly, "are you having any other symptoms?"

She thought of how she had vomited before the last heist. But she could easily blame that on nerves. The last two heists had been close, she could just feel it. But Dom kept saying one more and then they would end it. They'd have enough money to last them decades. He felt he owed it to the team to keep them in the plus no matter what.

Then she thought of that morning, waking to an ache in her chest, and realizing the searing pain was because she was lying on her stomach and that her boobs were too tender for her to lay in that position comfortably. Mami, and God if you're there too, Letty prayed, please don't do this to me now.

"Letty," Dom brought her thoughts back to him. He was looking at her so seriously that she wanted to rub the worry lines out of his forehead. He rubbed his hands down from her face to her neck and over her shoulders, "you are, aren't you. What is it?"

She swallowed and couldn't quite manage to meet his eyes, "I've been throwing up."

"And," he knew that there was more.

"And my boobs are sore," she admitted.

He pulled her close to him again, if it had just been her being late it would have been one thing. But they both knew that it was more than likely at this point.

"What do you want to do," he asked. He all ready knew how he felt, he'd had time to acclimate himself to the possible situation at hand.

"I think we should worry about it later," Letty wasn't someone who usually subscribed to denial but it seemed like a nice location at the moment. Dom was frowning at her again, "listen, we'll be done with this car tomorrow or the next day, and Race Wars is in five days. What's going to happen in a week that will change everything?"

XOXO

Dom was still pondering that question the next night as he barbequed the ribs his sister had brought out to the grill. They both knew that everything in your life could change in one instant. But Dom had seen a fragility in her eyes that day and hadn't pushed her further. She had to be strong, she didn't allow herself the pleasure of weaknesses, she just wasn't ready to accept the situation yet. He would show uncharacteristic patience in this situation, knowing they had a little over half a year to figure everything out.

"Hey," Vince stood next to him and handed him a Corona, "wanna include me on your thoughts?"

"You ever think of the future," Dom asked.

"All the time," Vince replied, "I think of what I'm going to do with all the money in my back account. I think of all the tail I'm going to get at Race Wars this year."

"No, Vince, do you ever think of the people who will depend on you? Do you ever wonder if you're good enough to guide them? Do you ever think of how everything can change with one decision?"

Vince followed Dom's gaze to Letty. She was laughing at something Leon said to Jesse at the picnic table. Vince's gaze flew back to Dom as he realized what he was saying, "awww, fuck man. Really? You're not going to let her race are you?"

"No one knows," Dom warned him. The look he shot Vince told his oldest friend everything he needed to know. Finally Dom took a long pull of his Corona, "I can't stop Letty from doing shit and you know it. She's not the docile, submissive type."

"You can't let her come," Vince whispered.

They both knew he meant the heist after the second night of Race Wars. The problem was that neither of them thought Jesse was ready to be a driver. Dom, Leon, and Letty drove. Vince was the jumper, and Jesse kept a tight reign on police activity.

"We'll see," Dom finally said noncommittally. Both men turned and saw Brian walk into the yard. Vince looked at Dom like he had betrayed him before walking away. Dom put his spatula down and called, "Vince, come on!"

"Naw, you don't need me, you've got the buster."

Dom looked over to Letty. She was watching him, obviously she had seen Vince's reaction. Dom's eyes told her that he was getting tired of Vince's temper tantrums. Letty's eyes told him that he was his oldest and most trusted friend, so he should get over it. He watched her look away and clear the smoky air from her face. For just one moment her hand went to her stomach and she looked like she would be sick before she pulled it together.

"Hey," Dom barked at Leon and Jesse, "go smoke on the front porch!"

The guys shrugged and made their way to the front, Coronas in hand. She nodded her thanks, and he winked at her, something he rarely did, before turning his attention to Brian.

XOXO

Letty stood in front of the mirror staring at herself. She didn't look different but she felt different. She was currently in the process of creating complex life proven by the three different positive pregnancy tests lined up on the sink. The whole situation was overwhelming. She had never thought about children although she remembered distinctly thinking that Dom would be a great father one day, she had just oddly never thought about what kind of mother she would turn out to be. She wasn't maternal the way Mia was. She wasn't wise the way her mother had been. She wasn't soft spoken yet fierce the way Dom's mother had been.

"Fuck me," she whispered to her reflection. She was Catholic and although she didn't attend church as often as she had as a child she still knew that getting an abortion was out of the question for her.

Dom entered without knocking and Letty silently cursed herself again. She always forgot important things like locking doors when she was mulling over something. He didn't speak as he looked at her, down at the sink, and then slowly back at her. She loved the way his forehead creased when he was thinking seriously about something. He stepped closer to her, gazing down at the plus signs on the tests.

"Three positives huh," he questioned.

"Yeah," she agreed.

He nodded, "what are you thinking?"

"That I'm only 22, and that I don't know what the right thing to do is," she admitted.

Dom pulled her to him until he could wrap his arms around her waist. He stared at her through the mirror and slowly spread one hand over her stomach. She stopped breathing for a moment as he started to smile.

"There's only one woman on Earth that could be strong enough to bear my son or daughter," he told her.

"You're happy," was it even possible that he had no misgivings about their lifestyle and all the changes that came with a baby?

"Letty," he paused significantly and his gaze burned through her, "this is our miracle. A lot of things have been fucked up in our lives, but this is not going to be something we fuck up. You're my woman and I'm your man. You won't go through anything alone and I'll always be around to protect you."

"You promise," she hated how needy she sounded, but there was something changing in her that demanded that she solidify this moment.

"I promise," he repeated and she knew that he meant it with everything in him. He nuzzled her neck and smiled again.

Letty forced herself to relax. He had promised to protect her so there was really no reason to feel like everything was going to come apart. There was no reason to feel so certain that their world as they knew it was coming to an end.


	9. September 1, 2002

September 1, 2002

Cuidad de Carmen, Mexico

Letty stood watching as the pangas, small sail boats, slid through the water toward the small oil town. The city was nicknamed the "pearl of the Gulf" and was where Letty had spent her first five years of life. The area was renowned for its deep oil wells and outstanding seafood. To Letty it was comfort, surrounded by her mother's family, including her aunt, who had returned to the Mexican city after Letty's grandmother had passed away.

"Cousin, I knew I would find you here," Pedro, her cousin's youngest son of three, ran up to her. He was nine years old and obsessed with anything with an engine, a trait Letty could understand and nurture.

"Oh yeah," she smiled down at him and spoke in easy Spanish, "and why were you looking for me?"

"Great aunt told me to find you and tell you that you got another secret letter," he whispered.

She felt her heart stop before resuming a deep beat. In the year since a cop had infiltrated their team and forced them apart, Letty had received few letters or calls from Dom. He thought it was safer if she didn't always know where he was, but there were occasions when they could find one another and for no longer than 36 hours pretend that this whole life was a dream. She lived for those moments. In between she went back and forth between California and Mexico. Periodically she sent money to Mia to maintain the house and just because she needed to feel like she was working toward something. She travelled around Mexico racing, earning big money in some of the larger races. When she wasn't travelling she worked at her uncle's garage here in the city. Time ticked on and the one thing that remained constant was her complete understanding that she was not meant to be apart from Dominic Toretto. She was convinced that there was one man made for her, and she harbored no doubts that she was the only woman that could truly understand him. He thought he was doing this great service by keeping his distance but all he was doing was strengthening her resolve. One of these days she was going to catch him and when she did, she wouldn't be letting him go without a fight.

XOXO

Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic

Dom watched the sunrise in his small version of paradise, his mother's hometown. Seven years since his father's death. Five years since Ana's death. Three years since he'd returned home from prison. One year since he had lost everything. It seemed like his whole life was turning out to be one big fuck up. He was twenty-six years old. He should be good right now. He should be having Sunday dinners in his backyard. He should be getting together for lunch with Mia when she wasn't busy with her career and figuring out which guy she wanted for life. He should be shooting the shit with Vince over Coronas after a race night. More than anything else, he should be in bed with Letty telling her to sleep and that he'd take care of their baby.

She had never blamed him for the heist that had gone so terribly wrong. Or if she had then she was damned good at hiding it. He had met up with Leon and Letty that night in the safe house on the Mexican side of the border. He would never, for the rest of his life, forget finding her. If he had known in the middle of that desert, while Vince had been bleeding out, that she was in that kind of terrible pain he would have stayed with her. He hated to admit it but he wouldn't have even attempted to find Jesse. He would have shirked that important duty for the most important responsibility he had.

Dom had parked his car in the garage of the safe house, effectively blocking it from any helicopters that might be over head. It had been a miracle that he had made it across the border without the police hot on his heels. He supposed that was Brian's idea of a fair exchange. As he walked through the garage toward the door leading into the house he looked down to see what he had stepped in and his stomach had fallen to the floor when he saw that it was blood. Something inside of him knew that the worst thing had happened and as quickly as that thought came he had to find Letty. He literally could not breathe for one more minute until she was in his arms.

"Leon," he had roared his name as he plunged into the house.

"Brother," Leon motioned for Dom to keep his voice down.

Dom stepped up to him, "what the fuck happened? Where is she?"

"Go talk to her," Leon replied.

"Don't fuck with me," he hadn't even recognized the menace in his voice.

"She won't take the fucking pills the doctor gave her to sleep until she talks to you, so go fucking talk to her," Leon replied. They had both served time in the same prison, they didn't scare one another. Leon pointed to the master bedroom.

Dom nodded and made his way down. He took one long shattered breath before he opened the door, preparing himself to step up. When he opened the door he had been surprised to see that she wasn't in the bed although it was apparent that she had been at some point. He checked the bathroom and finally went to the porch.

She had been curled in the reclining chair wearing a pair of his sweats and a dark green sweater even in the evening Mexican heat. She had tied her hair up and it was wet from a shower. She had been looking into the body of water so intensely that for a moment he thought that she might be sleeping with her eyes open.

"I…" he had meant to continue, to say anything to make everything right, but he just couldn't.

Letty had looked up at him and opened her arms. He went to her, kneeling so she could hold him to her breast, the way she had the day his father had died. He felt her stroke the bottom of his neck as she took a ragged breath and finally replied to his whispered words from earlier in the day, "I love you too."

He couldn't find the words to explain how sorry he was or to ask the questions on his mind. In the end she answered the questions without them having to be voiced, "Mia called the housekeeper in town and gave us the message that Vince was taken out of surgery, they're hopeful he'll keep his arm. The police all ready brought her in for questioning but they have nothing on her and they know it. I lost…it's gone."

Dom had stood then and lifted her into his arms. The night before they had made love and she had seemed so formidable; completely present and so physical. At that moment she had seemed small and defeated, but he knew she was trying hard to seem fine. He laid her on their bed and kissed her before determining that the Valium, not the Percocet, was the sleeping pill that the doctor had prescribed. She took the pill and laid back, looking at him and through him, "ride or die. We all signed up for it."

He couldn't believe she had tried to comfort him. He kneeled at her bedside and kissed her hand, "go to sleep baby, I'll be here when you wake up."

Letty had fallen asleep almost immediately. Dom made his way to the kitchen table and sat heavily. Leon had anticipated that he would want to talk and had all ready opened a beer for him. Dom took a moment and finally sat back, "what happened?"

"During the whole drive down she was quiet. Not the way Letty can sometimes be quiet, I mean really quiet. She just held her ribs and kept wiping the blood out of her mouth. When we parked I was all ready halfway out of the car and in the house trying to see if we had gotten any messages from the housekeeper. I don't know why I turned, because I swear she didn't make a peep, but I did. She had walked all the way to the landing and was holding herself up against the wall. Jesus, I swear I'll never forget the look she gave me. Pure terror man. We both looked down and there was just a fucking puddle. I guess because she was wearing black clothes we didn't notice before. And then she said, 'I'm pregnant'. I nearly shit my pants. We went to the hospital and did tests and shit. They told her that it was too late, she was all ready miscarrying, they said the whole thing would take 3-4 days. They wanted her to stay for the night because of the blood loss. She refused to stay. She said that you would need her. I guess she was right."

"She's my life," he had to say it out loud. He had to hear his own voice as he told the truth. He had to hear what he couldn't say out loud; he shouldn't have let her go, he should have listened to his team, he shouldn't have gotten any of them involved with all that terrible bullshit.

The weight of that day still laid so heavily on him that sometimes he couldn't breathe. Even now as he lived a simple life in a community that he was familiar and comfortable with. He yearned for the days that he would wake up with his woman beside him, driving down his childhood neighborhood streets, and just being a part of that community. Letty had lost their baby. The doctor had said that the abdominal impact had been so severe that he had been worried that maybe on top of the broken ribs and miscarriage that her liver was bruised and that was why she had been bleeding so heavily. Dom knew he'd have some regrets for life. He lived his life by his own code. He was an adult and fully accountable for his actions, any regret he had was because he hadn't listened to his team of hand picked partners. But this one regret would always be his solely, it didn't matter that Letty had told him in uncertain terms that she would never blame him. He blamed himself. A man protected and provided for his family, he didn't get members of his family killed.

XOXO

Cuidad de Carmen, Mexico

"Hey," Letty greeted the over abundance of family and friends as she entered her aunt's house. Pedro ran to play his friends after an affectionate hug.

"Leticia," her aunt was about to lecture her. Ever since she'd arrived home her aunt was determined to have her married off with children. Letty was convinced that when her Aunt Maria met Dom she'd understand. Her aunt stood 5'1" and weighed no more than 100 pounds soaking wet but she looked so much like her mother that Letty was sometimes shocked. And then she felt her terrible loss all over again.

"Yes, Aunt Maria, I know, you need babies to hold, a man to protect me so you can sleep through the night," Letty kissed her cheek.

Maria smirked, she wasn't stupid and realized that Letty was being so sarcastic because she wanted the letter. She held up the valuable letter and smiled, "as long as you're aware."

Letty snatched the letter and ran for the back door. Everyone would all ready be aware that her garage was off limits no matter what they heard behind the door. More than once she had trashed the placed. She sat in the back of her racing car and opened the letter, swearing she could smell him on it.

_Letty,_

_ I'll be there when my trophy is official._

_Dom_

Letty smiled to herself. Was there another woman on the planet who would understand the whole story he had just told her in one sentence? She sincerely doubted it as she snorted out loud. He'd be at one of the larger races in the whole country but he wouldn't come out in the open until after she won. She grinned, she could agree to those terms.

XOXO

Races in Mexico were different from American races in some ways, but in the major ways they were the same. The people didn't worry so much about the police considering that they were paid off to forget to do perimeter checks in the area. The women were still scantily clad and the money was right. Letty had parked about an hour before and had all ready paid in for the big race of the night. Knowing that Dom was out here somewhere probably watching her every move put her on high alert. She had dressed for him; leather pants, a midriff revealing sheer tee-shirt, the pair of cargo boots he had paid for back in LA, and she had kept her hair out, fanning her face. She wanted him to look at her and immediately be ready for her.

"Are you ready Letty," her friend Javier had been working at her uncle's garage since he was a boy. They very rarely spoke in English as Javier's English was centered on alcohol, bathrooms, and women.

"Born ready," her quick reply. No one ever had to ask her in any seriousness if she was ready to get behind the wheel of a car and smoke her competition.

"Let me run this again," they walked together toward their cars, "you win the race, drive to the check point, collect the money. I take the money, count the money, and take your car back home. What I don't understand is where you're going to be."

She smiled as the crowd parted for them, "I'll be unavailable. Once I give you the money don't call me under any circumstances. And if at some point you see me and you're worried, don't be."

"That is the most cryptic shit I've ever heard," Javier mentioned.

This time she laughed out loud. She knew more now than ever that he was here somewhere. She could feel him. Letty hadn't been one to smile much, let alone laugh, in the last year. The tension in her body was gone because everything was right, despite their bullshit, because if he wanted to he could smell her, touch her, within moments.

Finally it was time to race. They drove to the appointed area and stopped at the line. Letty rolled her shoulders and kept her windows rolled up. Mexicans talked more shit behind the wheel then any other Spanish speaking ethnicity that Letty had ever encountered. It certainly explained why she had always taunted her opponents. When the flag went down to go Letty's foot found its place on her accelerator as she slid into the first gear. Her mouth formed a 'o' as she slid into the second gear quickly. This was the closest to orgasm she could ever come in public. Then she grinned at that thought, thinking about one night in the back of the Chevelle with the entire neighborhood mere feet away. She felt the jolt of her competitor trying to push her car off of the dirt path and she smiled. Oh if only she were so light handed on her wheel. She pushed back, slammed her break for one moment, and watched through her rearview mirror as the driver spun out of control. Immediately she slid up to fourth and shocked her NOS, a moment later than the other two left, and felt her heart tremble for one moment because that small distraction may have cost her this race. When it came to it she didn't know if she had won or Don Jesus, a skilled racer who had beat her before.

"Who," Letty demanded to know who won the moment she parked at the check point. Her answer was Javier lifting her and spinning her.

"You're an animal," he roared.

Letty smiled big and then began looking around. After a couple of minutes when she didn't see him appear her smile fell. She accepted the money handed to her and absently gave it to Javier. She walked out of the crowd, grinning at the congratulations, but feeling like the rug had been pulled out from under her. Why hadn't he come to her yet? She knew he was here. She knew her instincts were good. Why was he hiding from her? She had continued to walk until was far out from the crowd. She was far enough away where she couldn't hear any conversations. She went onto the beach where the rowdy group was only a murmur.

"Now why would a woman as beautiful as you be looking so sad," she stopped. Those words, that voice, yes, she could smell him too.

She stopped, listening as the shuffling of sand indicated that he was near. Finally, after what seemed like forever, his hands fell on her shoulders. She closed her eyes and her head fell back. As she had gotten older she was reminded of the things her mother used to tell her. Sayings that had no bearing on her as a child and teenager, but now were words of such sage advice that Letty was almost certain her mother had been psychic. Ana had once told her, "there will be days in your life Leticia, minutes and seconds, that will change everything in you forever. Those days, those moments, are doors. Once you pass through them there won't be any return."

"How did she know," Letty murmured the question as Dom finally spun her and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into her, lifting herself onto his shoulders.

Dom buried his face in her neck, finally breathing once more. The time that they spent apart was like living on one big gulp of air. Toward the end he was certain he would suffocate without her. Somewhere down the line she had become home. And every time he had to leave her, to protect her, it was like removing one more important brick from his home's foundation. He wondered when his intelligent woman would get the good sense to walk away.

"I will never walk away," Letty swore pushing against him to glare into his eyes.

He hadn't realized he had spoken out loud, "I wouldn't blame you."

"Well I would sure as fuck blame you if you walked! Get something straight," she jabbed her pointer finger in his chest, "I've been to hell and back with you-"

"Because of me!"

"Fuck that," she snapped, "I'm a big girl Dom, you couldn't make me do shit then and you sure as shit can't make me do anything I don't want to do now. You've known from day one what kind of woman I am. Don't think for one moment that I've changed. I will walk to the end of the world to find you, and I will fight any monster you can find to save you. I don't do emotion easy, so now that you have it you'll just have to man up and shut up."

"I fuck up everything," he gestured wildly around them, his voice hoarse, "for the people I love most."

"Then I'll fix it," she pulled him to her once more. The gruffness of his voice made her stomach drop. She didn't want to fight. It had been so long since they had been together, she just wanted him. He relaxed into her and this time she promised, "I'll fix it."


	10. September 1, 2003

**Angst is the name of the game at the moment, but it won't always be. I hope everyone enjoys this update. This fic has been really easy to write up to this point. It's this elusive period of time between the first and fourth movie where Dom and Letty grew up so much. I call this period the "middle ages". It is my continued hope that in this and the coming chapters I capture the actions that spurred their growth before the events of the fourth and fifth movies. As always I try very hard to maintain their characters but I figure that artistic license is sometimes warranted when dealing with this period in the timeline. Hate it, or love it, review if you feel strongly one way or another. **

September 1, 2003

Toretto Household

"Good morning," Mia greeted as she watched Letty descend the stairs and sit down heavily across from her at the kitchen table.

"Hey girl," Letty replied.

"You look like something that I pull out of the dumpster," Mia commented as she sipped her coffee.

Letty scowled, "and people think you're a nice girl?"

Mia sat back, "what happened?"

"You know," Letty poured sugar into the coffee that Mia had poured for her, "you look just like your brother when you get stubborn."

"I've been told that before," she continued to stare at her oldest friend.

"It's rather simple, he won't let me find him."

"Why now," Mia continued to probe, knowing that Letty was holding back instinctively.

Letty shrugged obstinately, "I don't think that's any of your business."

"Oh that's rich," Mia chuckled, "let's be real, it's been my business from the first. He's my brother, you're my best friend. We're not the typical in-laws. Come clean, it might help to clear your head."

"You should have been a cop," Letty replied and instantly winced. She took Mia's hand, "I'm sorry. That was fucked up."

"It's okay," but her smile had fallen and it was obvious that two years had not lessened the blow, "life sucks sometimes, you just have to roll with it."

Letty nodded, "tell me about it."

"No," Mia leaned forward, "you tell me."

Letty nodded and relayed the story, filled with nostalgia as she spoke. She and Dom had been on hour 30 of the 36 hours he allowed them to have in any one place. It had been Christmas time after that race a year ago. Christmas in Mexico was a thing to behold, if Catholics did nothing else big, they did Christmas big. Letty had been shocked to find Dom at her Aunt Maria's door the day before. Of course her aunt had adored him as Letty had known she would, instantly understanding why Letty couldn't simply move on. They had spent hours making love, fucking, sexing, until there wasn't a place in her mother's hometown that would not forever be a part of their sexual voyeurism. Then Letty had shown him her garage, letting him mull with her over the carburetor for her racing car. Then Pedro had come in, humming with excitement over the prospect of displaying his growing car knowledge with a professional. Dom had been wonderful with him. Explaining things as they went along, just being such a guy. When she had shooed Pedro back toward the house she turned to tell Dom what a big mush he was and instead was greeted with him throwing her carburetor across the garage.

"What the fuck," she was genuinely perplexed.

His response was to clear the entire tool table with one massive sweep of his heavily muscled arm. Letty watched as he destroyed her garage and had the sudden knowledge that this was what Vince had seen that day when she had mourned her mother with pure destruction. This was what Vince had felt: overwhelming helplessness. Finally Dom spun toward the cement wall and cracked through half of it with his fist, one cry of anguish torn from him.

"Dominic," she spoke his name casually as she stepped into the middle of the garage. He didn't look at her and she just knew that it was because he was ashamed. That, she could not deal with. So she repeated, this time with more force, "Dominic, do not ignore me."

"I couldn't ignore you if I wanted to," he grumbled.

"Why are you still blaming yourself? It wasn't meant to be," she told him.

"Why am I blaming myself," he turned to her, menace written in his eyes, "do you know that our son or daughter would have almost been two?"

Letty's gaze shifted down. She didn't want to talk about this. Things were simple in her life; black and white. She couldn't change the past and didn't have time to regret it either. Therefore, she avoided thinking about what could have been. It was a moot point.

"We only have a few hours left," she held out her hand, "let's make the most of it."

He looked at her incredulously. Sometimes he didn't think she really saw him at all, "Letty, I killed our baby."

She snapped her face away like she had been slapped. She did not want to talk about this, she thought to herself again.

"Please," her arm was still extended, she was begging him.

"What is wrong with you," he went to her and gripped her shoulders, shaking her once. Letty shook her head fiercely, she was not going to do this! He shook her again, his face a mask of pure rage, "why are you so blind where I'm concerned? I killed our baby! I killed our child! We made life together and I destroyed it!"

"No," she denied it angrily.

He shook once more even as she fought to break his grip on her, "stop fighting and listen! Look at me and really see me Letty. I'm not perfect, I never have been and I never will be."

"You don't have to be fucking perfect," she heard her own voice as she screamed at him. His grip was punishing, in a quiet place in her mind she knew that she would carry the bruises for days.

"Look at me," this time he was begging but he looked as hard as ever, "and tell me the truth. Tell me I killed your daughter! Tell me I'm a selfish, irresponsible, asshole. Tell me that you never held your son because I killed him! Tell me!"

Letty screamed in true grief and it was so high and so terrifying that Dom abruptly let her go. She fell to her knees before him as he backed off, his face shocked and filled with his own sorrow. Finally she looked him in the eyes and spoke quietly but clearly, "you want me to say something? Fine!"

"Letty," he rubbed his head as he backed off, his eyes suspiciously wet, "just see me. Really see me!"

"You want to hear me say words that will confirm something that will make this all go away? I don't have any words to give you! All I've ever had is my love, why isn't it ever enough? You didn't kill my son and you didn't kill my daughter. I killed my baby," she shouted at him.

"What do you mean," he asked, and as an after thought whispered incredulously, "you're crying."

Letty looked up into his eyes. She felt her tears soaking her tang top but despite her strength she could not stop weeping, "do you know what it's like for your body to betray you? I lost that life. It was my body that wasn't strong enough to hold onto our baby. You want to know why I don't blame you, why I can't blame you? Because you had nothing to do with it! My body failed us. My body failed our baby. My body failed you and it failed me! Look at me and understand that you will never look down at your hands and see them stained with the blood of someone you love the way my hands are stained. You have never looked between your legs and watched life spill from you in a bloody puddle. You have never felt your body contract to destroy your miracle. Every time you blame yourself it only makes my guilt worse because it wasn't your fault Dom…it wasn't your fault. Oh my God," she wrapped her arms around her stomach and rocked on the ground as she wept. The flood gates that had stood strong and long for almost two years had broken and Letty was torn apart with them. Nothing could make up for her losses. She had thought that she would never feel the pain she had experienced when her mother died again. She had been so wrong and naïve.

Dom was suddenly beside her, pulling her into his arms and onto his lap, holding her as they rocked. She felt his lips on her temple. After a while he whispered, "we're a real fucked up pair."

Letty finally looked into his eyes, "I see you Dom. I've always seen you. I will always see you. And I will love you until the day I die. You can call our tragedies your fault. I can call them mine. Either way we're both more than aware of them. And I still want you."

He held her gaze and finally nodded before dipping his head and kissing her. He made love to her in that garage and as he settled her against him he spoke low, "we're never going to do this again Letty."

She knew he meant that they would probably never talk about their baby again or the miscarriage. She knew he meant that the time for blame was over. She also knew that he meant that he would never be so physical with her again. Letty heard the promise in his voice and nodded, "are we square? Do we understand each other?"

Dom nodded as he pulled her closer to him, "we got each other."

She watched him dress and kissed him trying with all of her might to tell her truth to him through it. He cupped her chin and nodded as if her eyes were telling him everything he needed to know. They didn't say good bye, it wasn't their style. She watched him walk into the shadows until she couldn't make out his form anymore and then she finally whispered, "Merry Christmas Dom."

Of course that wasn't the story Letty told Mia. She told her that they had gotten into a very emotional argument over the state of their affairs and the disbanding of the team. Mia knew she was holding back because Letty had never been any good at omission but she sensed the emotion as Letty told her story. Dom had called Mia the week before and told her that he had to give Letty the chance to live her own life. At the time Mia had thought he was crazy. Letty had been chasing him forever. But now, looking at Letty's face Mia knew he was right. Letty had to live for Letty for a while, not for the team, and not for Dom.

XOXO

Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic

Dom felt a hand go to his shoulder, for a moment he could pretend that it was Mia or Letty, but he knew it was Cara. She wasn't the typical race whore, though she didn't drive she also didn't fuck around. She knew when to leave a tense situation and she knew when to keep her mouth shut. They were cool. She just seemed to know he was unavailable and so she had never attempted to capture his attention.

"You know that if you're this miserable you can get on a plane and go to her," her voice was soft but bored. He had barely been able to stand himself over the past few months.

He nodded his agreement. He could get on a plane and be with her in a matter of hours. But what would that accomplish? He had spent the last seven years leading her into a spiraling lifestyle that would eventually chew her up and spit her out. Dom was finally starting to understand after hours and days and weeks of meditation, he was the worst kind of selfish motherfucker. While he no longer harbored such deeply painful guilt about the loss of the baby, he still knew that the lives of the people he held closest were forever changed because he had been a selfish, arrogant, and impetuous kid playing at being a man. It didn't matter that he had been trying to make their lives better because he had been on a high horse and his fall from grace had hurt much more than his pride. It broke him to admit it but Letty needed to be free from his influence and at least try something new. His father had once said, "great love is not necessarily right love."

"But you won't will you," Cara's voice pulled him from his thoughts. She sighed and sat across from him, "go to her I mean."

"No," he had to step up and for once take the hard road because he knew it was the right road.

"And what does she think about this?"

Dom snorted Letty was probably hunting for him as he sat here. His woman, and she would always be his woman no matter their distance, wasn't one to sit around idly. Letty just didn't understand what was good for her. She wouldn't let him go so easily but eventually she would get really pissed and stop looking for him just to tick him off. He didn't think he would avoid her forever, eventually she would find him, but by that time he was hopeful that she would see that she could have a life without him. Although he knew that if she ever did then a piece of him would be broken forever.

XOXO

Toretto Household

Letty realized that she was going crazy as she scanned the map of South America. She had pinpointed several locations where Dom would set up camp, knowing it because they were the places she would go to lay low. She would have to work and do some races as she traveled to pay for the expenses but it would be worth it in the end. Worth it when she would have the chance to punch him in the jaw before burying her tongue in his mouth. What was he playing at leaving her like this? Didn't he know, hadn't she made it abundantly clear in every way she knew how, that she needed him? Maybe her emotional breakdown had been too much. She had always worked so hard to have him think that she was different. She wasn't an overemotional one woman wrecking crew the way most women were. But that day he had pushed her button over and over, demanding a response, and she had been helpless, damn it, to hold back any longer. For her, that day had made them closer than ever. She had opened herself in every way possible and still he had walked out of her life like it meant nothing, like she meant nothing.

"Hey Letty girl," she grinned before she even looked up, knowing that Leon had just walked back into her life.

"Hey yourself," she replied. He looked different, more mature. His hair was pulled back in a short ponytail and he was wearing a pair of jeans and a black tee-shirt. But that wasn't what surprised her, it was the gold band around his ring finger that caught her attention.

"Yeah," he fiddled with the ring with a sheepish grin, answering her unspoken question, "I took the plunge."

"Who is she?"

"The most beautiful woman in the world. And possibly the stupidest for tying herself to a crazy fuck up like me."

Letty leaned on the Chevelle and grinned, "that's the problem with you men. We women know what we're doing and who we're doing it with. You're the ones with bad judgment calls."

"He loves you Letty but sometimes you gotta step away to get the clearest picture," Leon took a seat on one of the old wooden chairs.

"You talked to him," Letty guessed.

Leon rubbed a hand down his face and gave her a tired grin, "yeah, and then Mia called and said that you might need a place to regroup. She said you might need a place that wouldn't remind you of everything and everyone."

"That wouldn't remind me of Dom," she clarified.

He shrugged, "we both know that he'll be in your head, and your heart, no matter what. But what could a change of scene hurt?"

Letty glared down at him, "I'm going to find him."

"And what," Leon asked, "have the same conversation over and over? Take a fucking minute Letty to step back and reassess."

"I don't need to reassess anything. His place is beside me and mine is beside him."

"Then why isn't he here," Leon pushed.

She sucked in a breath, fury covered her face, "you know why he's not here."

"You know what I mean. Why isn't he by your side, wherever the fuck you may be?"

Letty didn't respond, she couldn't. Because the only response was one she wasn't willing to entertain. Dom hadn't given up on her; because she couldn't love like this and him feel nothing in return. She couldn't open her mind, body, and soul to him and him turn his back on her.

"I'm not saying he doesn't love you, but I am saying that if he's pulling back he needs time to get his mind right. Why don't you deserve the same time," he wondered.

Letty didn't reply for a long time. The thoughts in her head were mixing and jumbling together, forcing her to imagine the worst case scenario. Slowly she felt herself tense because she felt furious. He was always leaving her. In that moment she knew Leon was right. She deserved time to figure out just what the hell was going on inside of her. She was going to take the time that Leon offered her. For the first time in over a decade she was going to step away from Dom Toretto. She was scared.

But to Leon she simply nodded, "when do we leave?"


	11. September 1, 2004

September 1, 2004

Madrid, Spain

Letty woke early in the morning and stretched for a few long moments in her bed. After lounging in the early morning sun that came through her oval windows she rose and padded through the chalet toward the kitchen. She poured herself a cup of coffee, silently thanking Leon and Sadie for the house warming gift. Every morning she woke to coffee made without her doing anything except pre-setting it the night before. She took her coffee and two slices of wheat bread to the small balcony over looking the street. As she slid nutella over the toast she waved to her neighbor, an elderly woman who made the best canapés Letty had ever tasted.

It had taken four months but this place was beginning to feel like home. She had stayed with Leon in Panama for months. She had gotten to know, and really enjoy, Sadie, his wife. Leon had warned her before their plane had landed that Sadie was pregnant, not wanting her to feel blind sided. Spending the months before their daughter's birth with them had been more therapeutic than she had ever imagined it could be. There had been pain, watching the phases that she had never gone though. But a quick friendship with Sadie, and a deeply satisfying feeling of watching her friend so happy had made the experience worth it.

She hadn't spoken to Dom in over a year. Not one word. Not one letter. She had learned that while she missed him fiercely, she could go on. She could live a life that was worth something. Looking back she knew that the last year had been exactly what Leon had said it would be. It had been the time to put away her emotions and subjective notions and to take a hard look at her life. In this year she had become a woman, dependent on no one. For a long time she had been so hard headed, so fiercely in love with Dom that she had blinded herself to hard truths. Ever since she could remember she had been so obtuse and completely one track minded. From the age of eleven when she followed Dom around, to the prison years as she preserved every single thing he had left behind, to the heists, to losing their baby. She had no regrets, but she had realized that over the years the constant upsets and losses had worn her down. That last argument had been the breaking point after a lot of sad years.

Of course Dom wanted to give her the space to find something better. Their life together had had so many tragedies that it was easy to believe that there had to be something better somewhere. At some point she had forgotten how to be Letty without Dom beside her. That year she found herself and had realized that she had to know what she could live with and what she couldn't live with. It terrified her that she was willing to live with a lot of bullshit if it meant being with Dom. Because that was close to obsessed, that was close to becoming a martyr, that was close to losing her life.

XOXO

"Letty," Andre, a small Spanish man with more hair on his chest then any man could possibly have a need for, greeted her as she entered his garage by handing her a handful of lug nuts, "I don't even know why I try to teach them."

Letty grinned at the ragtag group of kids standing in front of her. Two teenaged boys and one very small girl grinned at her. Andre was a feisty man with a terrible mouth but he firmly believed that the youth should have the opportunity to do honest work and get off of the street. He had roped these three into helping at the garage hoping they'd learn the trade and ensure an opportunity for them to excel. Unfortunately, while they were hard workers, none of them were born with a natural ease around vehicles.

"Come on," Letty motioned them toward the broken down Dodge, "let's try this again."

"It won't work, we're stupid," Emilio, the oldest kid at a long suffering eleven years old, scuffed.

"Speak for yourself," Jada, the sweet seven year old girl, replied readily.

Letty grinned at them, "none of you are stupid. Learning to be proficient in fixing cars doesn't happen over night."

Gustavo snorted, "they're just too complicated!"

"The days you spend here are lessons. Not every lesson will be easy, but that doesn't mean you should run from the hard ones," Letty found herself repeating Tony's words and felt a curious sadness wash over her. Was this how Tony had lived his life after his beloved wife had died? Helping to build up the future, smiling, and finding other avenues to direct his searching heart? Letty felt wistful because as sure as she had been that this place was becoming home, she knew she would have to leave it soon. It would be time to be with her man again soon. But not yet, her intuition was something she paid attention to these days. She would be beside Dom again soon, but not today.

XOXO

Belize, South America

Dom counted the money in front of him, breaking it off into sections. One for himself. One for Han. One for Diego. The three of them had been racing the circuit of the small country for over four months and had just achieved big money after a huge race. Dom had been careful not be seen by any media at the large event. The people on the scene had felt protective of him and had aided him in eluding the international reporters who had come to the gorgeous country to report and play.

A Corona appeared on the table followed by a small chuckle, "I love when big money is my money."

"I'll bet," Dom replied, continuing to count, not missing one beat.

"I received a request this morning," Han spoke comfortably.

"Are you about to tell me a dirty story," Dom wondered.

Han chuckled, "a request from a man named Leon."

Dom's head snapped to the side to look at the man. He knew that this man was a friend, he trusted him despite the small length of time they had known one another.

Still Dom had learned his lesson. The last time he had trusted a stranger based solely on his intuition he had paid the ultimate cost. So he continued to stare, "how do you know Leon," Dom asked.

"Same way as you I suppose," Han replied. He finally sat, "we lived in the same group home in Vegas for a year."

"How didn't I know that," he wondered.

"I saw a picture of your old team in your locker at the garage. I needed to know who you were because I owe him a favor."

"Why?"

Han shrugged and continued to grin before he lit an unfiltered Lucky Strike cigarette, "he saved my life once."

"That really the way you want to die," Dom nodded toward the cigarette.

"Most people just tell me that they'll kill me one day," Han commented.

"I'm not most people."

Han nodded his agreement to that statement, "he said that he moved his family to Guadalajara and needs a hand for his new garage. He told me that I should make certain I informed you of his plans."

"And," Dom knew there was more.

"And," Han leaned forward, a question in his eyes, "he told me to tell you that it was time."

Dom nodded but his cool was lost. He lost count of the money and felt his stomach tighten. He and Leon had made this plan years before. Dom had known that he could never go home again, he knew it was only a matter of time before this way of life met its natural conclusion. So they had decided that Leon would go to a community and when he had the loyalty of the people it would become a safe haven, a place where Dom could meet up with Mia. A place where Letty would eventually come to him. He was certain although she hadn't attempted to contact him in months. Not by letter, or by phone call, or through Mia or Leon. It stung; realizing that he had pushed her away so effectively. But from what he'd heard, from the little that Mia and Leon told him, she was happy or at least content. Content in a life without him and it made him feel like growling and snapping at anyone who crossed his path.

"I guess what I'm asking," Han began but Dom snorted and leveled a look at him, "did you ask a question?"

Han grinned, "why did Leon move his family to a brand new location? Why was it so important for me to deliver that message verbatim? Why are we going to Guadalajara?"

"Too many questions," Dom grunted.

Han sat back and took a long drag of his cigarette, "a woman."

Dom looked at Han then, "you don't have to go."

"I know," it was that simple. Dom respected this man but he had to take a step back, his intuition wasn't always as sharp as he had previously thought. But it was nagging him now telling him to invite Han to Guadalajara.

"Come see," he finally told the other man hoping that he wasn't making his second worst character judgment.

XOXO

Guadalajara, Mexico

The city was bustling with activity as Dom and Han walked from where the taxi had dropped them off toward a three story stone building stacked between a whole street of similar buildings. Dom and Hand shared one glance and then looked at their respective sides of the street, taking in more details then any other men ever would have. Finally, sensing no danger, Han stepped forward and rang the doorbell. The door was massive but Mia didn't seem to have a problem with it. Dom's heart stopped for a long moment as he took in his baby sister.

"Hello," Han's voice immediately shocked Dom out of his nostalgia. Han had pulled out his smirk and began to take a step forward.

"My baby sister," Dom's voice purposely deepened, his tone growling.

"Oh," Han took a step back, hands in the air.

"Oh God Dom," Mia launched herself into his arms. She held onto his shoulders as he lifted her off of the ground. She felt thinner than ever, like she wasn't taking care of herself. She pulled away and motioned to the door, "come inside, we shouldn't stay out in the open so long."

Dom and Han followed her through the long hallway, passing a gorgeous sitting room and through the kitchen and into the inner courtyard. Dom stepped back into the sunlight and grinned at the scene in front of him. Leon stood bouncing in place, a Gerber baby at his shoulder with one fist in her mouth, and a small pink bow clipped in her light brown curls.

Dom laughed out loud, "is this the man I once shared a cell with?"

"Is this the man I did all manner of unholy activities beside during our impetuous youth," Han added.

"Unholy activities," a small woman with deep red hair arched an eyebrow toward Leon and repeated Han's words slowly and with menace.

"Mercedes," Dom greeted her without asking who she was.

"Dominic," she replied, confirming she was Leon's wife and confidant.

"Welcome to the family," he finally grinned.

She gave a dramatic sigh and grinned at Leon, obviously conveying that she knew their first meeting would be this easy, "call me Sadie."

XOXO

Madrid, Spain

Andre sat down heavily across from Letty at the card table behind the garage. He picked up the small glass of whiskey and shook his head, "this neighborhood, it used to be so peaceful."

Letty listened to the sounds of crickets and the lone car as it drove by and grinned, "it's not peaceful anymore?"

"Not peaceful," he tried to clarify in broken English. He always insisted on practicing his English with her even though he grew frustrated every time. He sighed, "peace of mind. These kids were respectful. They would run around crazy, yes, but they knew that every adult was to be treated with respect. Just today these two crazy kids they come into my shop and refuse to take their cars back. They say that I ruined their fuel injectors! Me! Ruin fuel injectors! Just because these cars are smaller does not make them better then the oldies!"

"Your English is getting so much better," Letty mentioned, pleased with her obvious talent in teaching English.

He sighed again, drank his whiskey in a short gulp, reverted back to Spanish, "what's your story?"

Letty sighed and began to rise, "good night, Andre."

"Not this time, chica," he gently grabbed her wrist as she walked by and shook his head, "you're running from something, I can see the fear in your eyes. I've seen the way you get quiet and still sometimes when you're in the middle of fixing an engine."

"I'm not running from anybody," Letty told him.

"No not a person," he agreed, his old eyes seeing so much more then she wanted them to, "a feeling. Who is he? What happened?"

Letty stared at the old man who was still lightly shackling her wrist, "he's my heart."

"Sit down," he let her go and poured a second glass of whiskey this time pushing it toward her.

XOXO

Guadalajara, Mexico

"Prime Detroit steel," Han purred over the 1969 Camaro in Leon's garage. The old car still needed a lot of fixing before it would reach its max potential but there were talented hands in this garage.

"Yeah, I got her from a beer salesman on the coast of Argentina," Leon replied.

Dom didn't speak as he looked at the car, appreciated its look and what could be done with it. They had spent a wonderful day hanging out. Mia had cooked and Sadie had proven to be intelligent and funny. She was Irish through and through with the attitude to prove it. The food had been delicious, the conversation hilarious, the Coronas were cold, and Leon's baby daughter, Jasmine, was easy going and content to sit on anyone's lap and watch everyone else.

"Where," Dom murmured the question to Leon.

Han tensed, knowing by the tone of Dom's voice that something was wrong. Leon shifted, turned to face his friend, "Madrid."

"She knows I'm here now," it wasn't a question.

Leon nodded, "yeah, I called her. She said she doesn't know her time frame right now."

"She's pissed."

"She's fine," Leon argued the point.

"Living isn't feeling fine," he replied.

"Should it be pain?"

"You don't know what you're talking about," Dom told him, his fist clenching.

"I know enough," Leon replied, "enough to know that if she doesn't know her time frame right now then she deserves time to figure it out."

"A year ago I asked you two not to tell her my location so she could try this. Everyone was on the same page then, what changed?"

"She did, in front of our eyes. Hear me now, brother, if you keep running away from her to keep her safe one day it's going to drive her away, or worse, get her hurt."

"What are you talking about," Dom asked worry now taking over his face. What was his woman doing out in the world that Leon thought she could be hurt?

Leon leaned against the tool table and sighed, "when I found her in the garage last year she was going through every map of South America she could find. She told me later that she would have stopped at every major city in every country. She would have asked around, made some money, and then onward until she found you. Do you get that Dom? She wouldn't have been home safe with Mia or in Cuidad de Carmen with her aunt."

"Letty can handle herself," Dom argued. And to some extent he was right, she knew when to shut her mouth and disappear. She also knew when to pony up and defend herself. But he didn't want that for her.

"Look man, all I'm saying is that you can't keep walking out on her. You can solve any problem together, give her a chance to prove that to you," Leon sighed and rose to his full height again.

"I don't know this woman," Han spoke softly to interject his opinion. If Dom hadn't wanted him to know about this he wouldn't have had the conversation in front of him. He turned toward the men, "but I know women."

"You don't know what she's about," Dom replied.

Han grinned, "the woman who has you this wrapped up? I need to meet her."

Leon shared a smile with his oldest friend, "you'll meet her, and then you'll see them together, and it will all make sense."

"Give her the space to decide that she's willing to take a chance on you again. It sounds like that's what the hold up is, not anger."

"She's willing to chase me around the fucking globe," Dom reminded him.

"Is she," Leon questioned.

Dom paused, his heart was starting to ache. Had he really fucked up again? He couldn't understand why his relationship was always at risk whether he was doing right or doing wrong. He took a breath and hardened in front of his friends, every nuance of emotion erased from his face. His life was a ticking time bomb, it was only a matter of time until it would explode. He knew deep in his heart that he had to protect Letty, even from him, even from herself.

XOXO

Two weeks rolled on and Dom found the time both stifling and refreshing. He had been around Mia long enough in the two weeks to have the occasional sibling argument with her which was bittersweet because he knew she would be alone again soon. He had bulked up Leon's Camaro with Han and now the car was a true piece of art. He had grown attached to Jasmine who was making it a habit to rub his head whenever he lifted her. But he was lacking, that much was clear to everyone. He wouldn't be okay until Letty came to him and let him know that they weren't over. He was truly a selfish motherfucker, he often thought, because he couldn't really let her go. He could play at honorable but he was always just a bit too arrogant to pull it off.

Now as he stood in the inner court yard, hiding a wad of cash that he knew Leon would never accept face to face, he felt the difference between being alone and being with her. Because he knew as surely as he stood there living and breathing, Letty had just walked back into his life.

He turned slowly and soaked her in. Lacy black tang top with ample tanned cleavage, navel showing, dark brown leather pants, and cargo boots. She had her hair in a messy pony tail and the look on her face was what allowed him to take another breath. God damn he was a lucky son of a bitch; she was in love with him.

He wasn't sure if he went to her or if she came to him but he was holding her and that was all that mattered. She smelled like oil and daises and some other girly shit that made him want to eat her alive. He kissed her like a thirsty man drank a cool glass of water. He held her so tightly that he could have squashed her. There wasn't a thing he could think to say, so he pushed her against the wall, quickly pulling her pants down to her ankles and stepped in between the v of her legs. Dom lifted her again so she could undo his pants and push them down just as urgently. She lifted him into her hand and guided him to where she needed him, where he needed to be.

Letty screamed out once as he pistoned into her the first time, sinking so deeply that all she could do was grind on him. He cut through her like a knife, that smoothly, but with so much pleasure that she couldn't function. She held on as he fucked her against the white stone wall with the bright sun beating down on them.

"Fuck. Fuck, Letty," he growled into her throat. He continued to fuck her but used one hand to pull one breast out of her bra to suckle on. He growled and squeezed her ass as he felt her orgasm on him, holding him.

"Dom," she called out to him, the small hiccup in her voice making him feel like he had to give her more. He had to make up for hurt feelings and lost days. He had to fuck her until she remembered that not another woman on the planet could ever take her spot.

"Yes, baby. Yes, Letty, take more," he ordered.

Her arms squeezed him to her as she ground hard against him, met every thrust, until everything in his body tightened and he came in huge pulsating gushes as her body claimed his once more in orgasm. He fell to his knees, protecting her body with his so it wouldn't be scratched on the wall. Dom knelt on his knees forever, Letty wrapped around him, his semi-erect cock still buried as deeply as he could place it, just holding what was his.


	12. September 1, 2005

September 1, 2005

Ecatepec de Morelos, Mexico

"What are you waiting for?"

It was the way she whispered the question that made him pause. If she had yelled then he could have turned and fucked her into a deep sleep and this whole thing would be a moot point. But she was standing behind him and he could tell by the inflection in her tone that she was angry. Not an angry that he would be able to fix with simple words and sweet kisses. She was pissed. And he really couldn't blame her.

"What's stopping you from taking a few more steps through that door, out of this house," Letty asked, her fists clenched at her sides.

"You," he replied tersely. Did she think he was heartless? He gave her every piece of himself that he could without falling apart. Didn't she know that he had given her so much of his soul that he'd never be okay again without her in his life?

"You're leaving me," her voice was beginning to rise.

"I have to move on to keep everyone clear," he reminded her. He said the words so often that they seemed like a prayer, a litany of pain.

"When you disappear I-" she cut herself off abruptly.

Dom turned then and wished instantly that he hadn't. There were no tears but there was a promise of them in her dark chocolate eyes. There was no weeping but her breathing was shallow and quick.

"When I disappear I have to force myself to keep walking. When I disappear I have to constantly remind myself that it's only a matter of time before I see you again."

"Not tonight," she decided. She released her bunched hands and looked him in the eyes, "tomorrow is going to come no matter what we do, so give me tonight."

"It won't make it easier," he replied.

"I know," she returned. She had been left in so many different ways, in so many different places, that she was a professional. In the end, nothing she'd tried had stopped him from leaving. In the end, it was always him walking into the sunset without her.

Dom sighed, dropping his bag by the door. It had been one year of them together. One full year of them traveling as necessary through Central America together and going back to Leon's home base. They had seen Mia multiple times through that year but then the FBI had begun to question her again so she had stayed in LA, not mentioning anything about his whereabouts. He knew they would have to torture her before she would willingly turn him over. Knowing that she was alone again, knowing that she was protecting him when it should be the other way around, irked him. This life was so frustrating. But he just knew, deep in his bones, that they were getting close to his scent again. And he didn't want any of his caught up in that bullshit.

"Stop thinking so loudly," Letty snapped at him as he followed her back to their small bedroom in the apartment.

He almost smiled as she stripped her sleep shirt, really his old white tee, and turned. No woman was without flaws but he swore that Letty just might be. There wasn't a thing about her body, or her character, that he didn't like. She cut through his bullshit like she was born to do the job.

"When you have to go you don't sneak out on me. When you have to stay away you don't cut me out. I'm a part of you, Dom," she thumped her chest and then his with her hand, "we share this vital organ. We work this world together, or we don't work it at all."

His chest heaved once. She had started to be much more verbal over the last year. When they were younger she usually kept her peace and only voiced her opinion when necessary. She had just assumed, and rightly so, that he would understand how she felt about any given situation. These days her tongue could slice him to pieces. He supposed that she figured that she had kept her peace previously and everything had turned to shit; so this time she would talk it in the hopes that the outcome would be better.

"You're beautiful," he let his fingers graze one breast, brushing a nipple on its descent.

"I feel like every time I try to make this right everything just comes down on me," she admitted.

"What do you mean," his face was thoughtful.

Letty shook her head, "I'm always stripped bare in front of you. What do you need to see? What do you need to hear for you to stop leaving me? Either you want me or you don't Dom."

"You know I want you," he argued. He couldn't show it anymore then he was.

"It can't always be when you want it. You can't keep playing me like a yo-yo," she admitted.

"I'm in love with you Letty," he told her gruffly, angrily.

"Being in love with me hasn't stopped you from walking."

"Fuck out of here," he came close to yelling at her, a look of pure irritation on his face. He bunched his fists, "you know if I could stay I would. You know that if we could have this time back in LA I would take it."

"I'm good enough to fuck, good enough to be let into all of your heists, but not good enough to keep around? We could disappear together!"

"I don't want that for you," he yelled at her.

"Ask me what I want for a change," she yelled right back.

"What the fuck do you want?"

She sighed, looking him in the eyes, "you."

When he closed his eyes and didn't speak for a long time she went to him and put his hand over her heart, "is it so hard to believe that? However I can get you, wherever we may be, whatever we're doing, all I want is you. You can't decide for me. You can't force me to do what you think is best. I want you Dominic Toretto and I will fight the Devil and God himself to get you. Baby, please…let me walk with you."

Dom's thoughts raced as he fought the deeply internal struggle between needing to be the man who provides and protects and the man who had fucked up so horribly. Deep down he didn't think he deserved her and she couldn't fix that. Fuck, he couldn't even fix that.

"I can't tell you that I'll never feel like I need to leave to keep you safe again," he admitted.

She nodded then, appreciating that he wasn't lying to her, but her heart still ached. She opened her arms to him and when he went to her she led him to the bed, where they always seemed to work through their problems.

XOXO

"Wake up," Dom woke to Letty slapping a map and some truly terribly written notes on his bare chest. He growled, literally, at her. She lifted one eyebrow at him, "you think I'm scared of you growling at me? I had your inner lion purring like a pussy cat last night. Now put on your sunshine smile and ask your brilliant woman about the plan she's concocted."

"What," he replied. He pulled her down to him before she could respond, deciding that she was too awake so she should straddle him to get him on her level.

"Ask," she whispered as she bent to gently bite his bottom lip.

He kissed her before glancing at the map, "what did you come up with?"

"I'm tired of having the same old argument with you. So I've come up with a plan to increase our capital by a lot of cash money. I'll be doing three big locations in Central America over the next year or two. Each place I've found has a home base with someone I trust or at least that is sparsely populated enough to blend in. I'll build up a garage in each place and run the races around them, maybe pull a few jobs. I can do it alone," she looked him in the eyes so he would know that she could do anything she put her mind to, "but I'd love to do it with you."

Dom didn't say anything for a long time. She was trying to prove a point. She wanted him to try this life with her and see how it went. She wanted to be with him. If he was honest then he would admit he wanted her by his side too.

"Let me take a shower and we'll go over this step by step," he wasn't agreeing to it without acknowledging every situation that could occur. But she had known he would do that. The fact that he was willing to discuss it was a plus.

Letty grinned up at him as he stood and stretched. He was completely naked and she could say with absolute certainty that her man was a grade-A prime specimen; all muscle and tanned skin. She sighed as everything in her body tightened, one good look, one deep inhalation of his scent, and she was just like every other female. The difference between her and those females? She hid it way better. Her man knew she wanted him but she didn't have to show it by drooling at his feet.

"Enjoying the show," Dom's voice yanked her from her thoughts. She felt her cheeks warm as she realized that she had been daydreaming. Maybe she was more like those females than she cared to admit.

She leaned backward on the bed, "Dom, I love the show."

"Yeah," he put both hands on her jean shorts and yanked at them until they slid down her legs. He glanced at the dark purple silk between her thighs and groaned, "the underwear that the adult Letty wears makes me hard as a fucking rock."

"Prove it," she taunted teasingly, the grin on her face taking his breath away. For one long moment he looked down at her, into her dark brown eyes, memorizing her smile, committing her smell to his memory. If it was ever really over he would look back to this moment and remember everything about her that he had ever loved. She frowned, "what's wrong?"

He kissed her, long and hard, opening her mouth for his tongue's invasion. He needed to kiss her so deeply that he could eventually burrow into her skin. When he was younger he had ignored his need until he had forgotten that he could need this desperately.

"Nothing is wrong when we're like this," he finally replied to her.

"I know," she nodded her head as if she were answering a question. Her eyes softened and then brightened with intelligence, "who the fuck thought we'd be _that_ couple? Shit, when did we even start saying we were a couple? We were just kids playing at being adults, then we were just part of the team, and then suddenly we were a couple."

"We've always been a couple. Yeah we were members of the same team but even inside of that we were Dom and Letty first. Letty when your car flipped that day…I saw my whole world flash before my eyes. I could have kept it together and gotten Vince, I know I could have. When you flipped, when I didn't know if you were even still on this planet with me, I couldn't cope."

Letty kissed him, "we've been through hard times."

"We've been through tragedy," he corrected.

"Take a shower or fuck me, but don't lay over me and tell me something that's going to tear me apart," she whispered.

She watched him as he watched her, "do you know that every time I'm inside of you, whether I'm slow and I draw it out, or I'm fast and fucking you, it's my love."

"I know," she nodded, because she did know. Just like everything she did seemed to lead back to him. If she ever had a doubt that there was a higher purpose, a God ruling them all, then their relationship would bring her faith back. Everything seemed to bring them back together, it had to be fate.

"Come take a shower with me," he pulled her up and pulled her clothes off so quickly that she had to smile. He pulled her close, their naked bodies crystal clear in the bright sunlight streaming through their window. He smiled down at her, "if you ask me nice I'll even let you drive my car to Leon's."

"Leon's," she questioned.

"I have a feeling that we should make our plans there, I don't trust it here anymore," he admitted.

Letty nodded and led him toward the bathroom, "then let's have one last shower before we bounce."


	13. September 1, 2006

**I just bought Fast Five on DVD and watched some clips. My thoughts are as follows: Elena should not be in future films (super nice lady, but not the lady for Dom), Vin Diesel has the sexiest body EVER in a beater and jeans, and I'm certain that the next film is going to have some explosive Letty scenes. So needless to say, I have been inspired once more! **

**STR8BKCHICK- I thank you for your reviews and hope to see much more of your fabulously written fics!**

September 1, 2006

Puebla, Mexico

The entire crowd hushed as the reigning racing king stepped up to one very heavily muscled man with light eyes dancing with cocky self-assurance. Xavier Morales was a smart man. He knew when to cut his losses, he knew who to pay for certain services, and he judged a person's character within minutes of meeting them. He was rarely wrong and rarely lost, behind the wheel or in life in general.

"You've made a name for yourself over the past month," Xavier mentioned, his voice a quiet Spanish caress.

Dom tilted his head, regarding the man slowly. He took him in, his height, with a swimmer's build, he had a Columbian look to him, and his eyes were black but shining with intelligence. He decided in that moment that if they had to have a fight then it wouldn't be easy. Not that he wouldn't best him, he told himself with the self-confidence everyone had noted, but he wouldn't be an easy nemesis to defeat.

"How's that," Dom replied to the statement, if he let this man get one inch he would take the whole mile before he could blink.

Xavier knew almost every person who was in the large crowd. And it was a large crowd. They were under an abandoned section of highway that would never come to full fruition because of the extreme poverty in the city. Everyone was waiting to find out more about the driver who had hit the scene with a vengeance, the only real competition Xavier had had in a long time.

"You planning on racing tonight?"

Dom pulled a half smirk, looking away and then back, "well I didn't come here to dance."

"Why do you think you have the right to race in my town," Xavier wondered. His voice never changed in pitch or tone but Dom knew that he was being tested.

"Competition never hurt anybody."

Dom grinned toward the voice as the wiry Asian man stepped out of the crowd and close to the two men.

"Han," Xavier acknowledged the man.

Dom almost rolled his eyes. How Han managed to know everyone in the world was a mystery even he couldn't figure out. He slapped hands with Han and tapped his back quickly.

"You know one another," Xavier's voice sounded tired, as if he too wondered how Han got around to knowing everyone at every scene.

"You could say that," Han replied to Dom's unspoken question and Xavier's words.

"What's your business," Xavier asked, getting right down to business.

Han grinned and pulled out a stick of gum. He chewed it thoughtfully for a moment, "I just want to see a good race."

Xavier thought it over for a long moment. He didn't trust many men but he trusted Han. If he wasn't signaling for him to off the muscle head then he would let it ride for the time being.

"Four thousand, up front, winner take all, ¼ mile," Xavier finally told Dom.

Dom nodded and glanced to his left, "Letty."

Han's eyes widened only fractionally but Xavier noticed it. Han had met Letty briefly two years before at Leon's before Dom had taken her to a nearby village and ravaged her for two straight weeks. They hadn't spoken because it was understood that Dom needed the time with her. Han had been called back to Nevada during their hiatus and never had time to do more than exchange one brief pleasantry.

Letty sauntered out of the crowd dressed in a long sleeved black shirt cut short right above her pierced naval, a dark brown leather mini skirt caressed her behind and upper thighs, and a pair of knee length black boots finished her simple look. She stopped a few feet from all three men, "que pasa?"

"We got a race," Dom replied, his gaze fastened on her like every other man in the crowd.

She nodded and held up a roll of hundred dollar bills with two fingers. Xavier nodded to his cousin, and accountant, to take the money.

"Who are you," Xavier asked her.

"Would it be cliché to say your worst nightmare," she wondered.

He couldn't help it, she was just too damn much, this whole situation was! He grinned. Han sighed in relief, Xavier could be quick and cold with peoples' lives. The fact that no bullets were spraying was encouraging.

"Let's race then," Xavier turned as he spoke and everything was back to normal, like the last ten minutes hadn't even happened.

XOXO

Dom pulled his car to the garage behind the hacienda that he and Letty had carefully selected. He turned the car off and waited for Han to fully park his car before going over to him. They slapped hands once more and Dom had to grin, "you were faster than I thought you'd be."

"I always am," Han replied easily. Dom had called him two weeks prior telling him that he could use his expertise in the booming city.

"Come inside, we have cold Coronas and a bed for you," Dom started toward the white stone house.

Han was surprised to see the rooms colorful and well furnished. When he had traveled with Dom in South America their quarters had tended to be sparsely furnished with more room for improvement then not. They settled in the kitchen and Han was surprised again when Dom pulled out two plates of food.

"What's the deal," Han asked before digging into the rice.

Dom sat back, "in one week a rig will be travelling from the tip of Mexico up the gulf with a shipment going to Texas."

"What kind of shipment?"

"The kind that makes our wallets heavier and carries some level of risk."

Han grinned at that, "I all ready knew that much."

"Guns," Dom told him.

"Going to Texas," Han sounded skeptical.

"First to Mexico City, and then to Texas," he amended.

"Tell me we're not about to heist the guns of any Mexican gangs," Han bit into his chicken and took a long draw of his Corona.

They both heard the garage doors close and footsteps approaching the kitchen door. Han looked up in time to see Letty waltz in. The first thing she did was lay a small stack of bills by Han's plate, his cut of the profit from the night indicating he was a member of their small team. She pocketed the rest under her shirt, he didn't know where she put it but it didn't fall out.

"Let, you remember Han," Dom announced it.

She rolled her eyes before bending to kiss Dom full on the mouth in greeting. She took a seat at the table, "thanks for coming."

"No problem," Han was not often lost for words yet with this woman sitting beside him he found his mind blank. She looked at him as if she could see everything in him.

"Yes, we're taking the guns from the gangs and we'll sell them to the government for their petition price of $500,000. Clear the streets of some weapons and make some money," she continued on Han and Dom's conversation as if she had been there the whole time.

"How'd you know," Han wondered as he took another bite of his chicken.

"She knows me," Dom replied as he fingered a dark curl hanging nearby.

Leon's words came back to Han then. He'd said that he would see them together and it would all make sense. She did something to Dom, she didn't soften him because he was just too tough for that, but she just did…_something_.

Right at the moment Han was having that thought the screen door swung open. Dom stood so quickly his chair fell back and Han rose, the knife he'd cut his chicken with palmed in his hand.

"Good, I don't like fools," was the greeting Xavier gave to the man who had beat him not two hours before.

Han relaxed but retained his hold on the knife. It was then that he noticed that Letty had pulled a black gun from somewhere and had it pointed at Xavier's throat.

Xavier nodded toward her, "I came here alone, you're more than welcome to check me for listening devices and to check the area."

Letty didn't move even one inch to indicate that she had heard him. The look on her face was completely clear. One wrong move, fuck, one wrong breath, and a hole would blossom in Xavier's neck in an instant. Han didn't remember anyone describing her as trigger happy but she obviously was.

"Han, can you please go take a look at his car and while you're in the garage if you look under the old bench you'll see a switch, turn it on and you'll be able to see surveillance videos of the house. Make sure no one is lurking around the block. If they are give us a yell and I'll give Xavier a scream," Letty carefully spoke each word.

Han did as he was told. He knew when to just shut up and listen to a woman. When he was certain they were clear he went back to the kitchen where neither Letty or Xavier had moved. Dom had sat and was casually sipping his Corona.

"Clear," he announced.

Letty look toward Dom and at his curt nod she reached up and put the gun in a holster under her shirt by her left breast and it disappeared once more. Xavier had been grinning the whole time, impressed with his own people reading skills. He had known there was something more to Letty!

"Take a seat," she offered now. When he sat she rose and opened a Corona and put it on the table in front of him.

"Thank you."

"What's your business here," Dom asked.

"You're planning something. Han never shows up for nothing and I've known since you arrived that something was buzzing. More gangs are moving in and I think we all know it's because a big shipment is coming through my town very soon."

Han barely glanced at Dom, but the small look was enough for Dom. He sipped his beer slowly, examining the other man again. The tables had turned. Dom was the king in his own home, wherever it happened to be, and Xavier was aware of it.

"Why should I trust you," Dom wondered, the look on his face telling the other man that he would rather trust a rabid animal not to bite him.

"Because," Xavier leaned forward, "you'll be walking targets without the money I have to make us invisible. Because no one gets away with any shit in my town. And because I'm good."

Letty spun one lonely bullet on the table with her finger and glanced up through her fringe at Dom, one eyebrow raised. Dom leaned forward to meet Xavier's gaze, "people generally think they can beat me, or at least kill me. You hurt me or one of mine and I will make you hurt. I'll see you in hell for it."

Xavier didn't look at Letty but he understood the message and once more Dom knew he understood. He nodded and rose, "I'll see myself out then."

"Tomorrow 100 kilos west toward the dunes, five o'clock," Dom told him as the man walked through the door.

XOXO

As Dom watched Letty remove the various pieces of her weapons arsenal, strategically placed all over her body, he had the same thought as Han. Trigger happy Letty was a different woman then she had once been. It had taken their second job together in Mexico four months prior for her to turn into a walking weapon. They had ended up on the bad end of a gun and Dom would always have a scar on his right shoulder to prove it. Not two days after they had left that sordid situation Letty had begun to practice with a 9mm. It was almost scary how good she was with the weapon.

"I don't trust him," Letty voice was muffled as she pulled her shirt over her head.

"He knows too much," Dom agreed.

"It's not that," she paused in thought as she pulled her mini skirt down. Dom watched her unstrap a thigh holster holding a knife and pushed down uncomfortably on his erection, "I would expect him to know that something is going on. I wouldn't expect him to lay it all on the line with us. Why wouldn't he just do it on his own? Or with a group he all ready knows?"

"Come here," his baritone voice was a caress on the humid breeze passing through their window. She walked to him in her underwear, grabbed his hands, and pulled him until he was in a standing position with her.

"Seeing that knife always gets you going," she teased.

"Yeah," he grinned down at her as he caressed her butt, "anytime I see those thighs it gets me going."

"Let me help you get going," she suggested. Her fingers quickly unbuckled his pants and slid the zipper down. In moments he was hot and hard in her hand, she moved her hand up and down his length before teasing his head with her thumb. Dom cupped her face as he kissed her, his tongue sinking into her warm mouth as she played with him.

Letty was drunk on the eroticism of the moment so she was surprised when Dom suddenly spun her around and made her lean over with her hands down on the bed. She looked over her shoulder and lost her breath when she saw the way he was staring at her ass.

One big hand went down her back and then cupped one warm cheek before he ripped her panties off. She stared down at the bed as she felt his fingers skim her crack all the way down until he could open her for his inspection. One finger rubbed her and she jumped up. She felt a quick slap on her butt, "don't move."

The finger returned, still just playing with her. He wouldn't penetrate her with it but he continually rubbed with the calloused finger. She felt her body moisten further until she was embarrassed by the wetness she could feel on her own thighs.

"Your pussy is beautiful baby," he murmured right before she felt his mouth suck her clit into his mouth. A straight beam of pleasure flew up her body and she arched her back in pure surrender, offering him everything he wanted.

He wouldn't stop even as she began to quiver. She knew it was close, she knew that at any moment the world was going to shatter and she wanted it so badly she could barely stand. His strong arms hooked behind her knees and she collapsed back. He controlled her fall until she was on her back on the floor. He took his time then, leisurely licking at her and then probing deep.

"I'm coming…right now," she breathlessly told him as she jerked her hips in time with his mouth. He looked up at her face as he took her over the edge and felt the first spurt of pre-cum come out of his jerking cock. She was cupping her breasts, teasing her nipples as he licked her, and her eye were wide open watching him.

He didn't let her finish riding the wave before he settled over her. He tried to open her again with his fingers but she was too slippery and he was too impatient. She whimpered as she arched her hips up, begging him without words for what she needed.

"Fuck it," he spoke out loud before ramming into her. She groaned as she accepted inch after inch of him. She opened her legs wider as he slid in and finally he was to the hilt. Dom put his hands on both thighs and looked down for one long moment. He had never in his life seen anything as erotic as the two of them together. Letty was open to him, had allowed his full penetration, their pubic hairs were mixed together. He realized at that moment that they would never be more connected then they were at that moment.

"Papi," her voice was shaky as she put both hands on his face and forced him to look at her. Slowly she moved her hips down and he felt himself move out of her a couple of inches before she moved them back up. He followed her slow rhythm, watching her face as he felt her inner wall shutter around him. After a few moments she released his face and murmured, "now look."

He watched himself slide in and out of her as he felt the sensations attached to the movement. He noticed how slick with her juice he was and how big he looked as her body swallowed him hungrily. Dom was arrogant for good reason 99% of the time; in the bedroom was no different. He had exceptional equipment and knew how to use it.

"Harder," Letty's voice brought him out of his trance. He looked up at her face and bent down to nip her lip.

"What'd you say," he asked, thrusting deeply once more.

"Harder," she begged as he slowed his pace.

He went deep, pushing her thighs open more, "what?"

"Harder!"

"I didn't catch that," he pulled out until he barely had his tip in.

"Please," she scratched as his arms, tried to move her hips to control the pace, "harder!"

"Say my name," he whispered, suddenly his mouth was right beside her ear. He bit gently and slowly slid back into her warmth, "call out to me, Letty. Scream my name baby and I'll make you come so hard you won't be able to walk straight for a month."

"Dom," she called out, past all pretense, she just needed to come.

He went a little faster, grinding into her at full hilt again, "I can't hear you."

"Dom," she called louder as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Scream for me baby. Tell me who you're with. Tell me no one else can give this to you the way you need it. Tell me this pussy doesn't get wet for anyone else. Tell me!"

"Dom, Dom, Dom, Dom," his name was a litany then, quick repetition as he moved faster and faster.

He pushed her hand down to feel his erection as he slid in and out of her, "no one else gets me this hard. No other woman has ever made me lose control. Say my name!"

"Dom," she screamed out as she came. His cock felt impossibly larger, pushing her walls open wider, and his name turned into a sigh, and the sigh turned into soft words, "I love you."

He buried his face in her throat, crushing her breasts to his chest as his furious thrusts turned slow. He emptied himself into her over and over. He breathed in her scent, licked at the sweat on her neck and whispered back, "I love you too."

XOXO

Dom stood with Han beside Han's car waiting for Letty to return to the hacienda. She had left early in the morning and told him that she would be back in time for them to go meet Xavier. Now he stood with a scowl, his aviators covering the irritation in his eyes, and his hands in the pockets of his black jeans.

"Where she at," Han asked as he slid a piece of Juicy Fruit in his mouth.

Dom looked around, uncomfortable not knowing that information. Finally he glanced at Han, "when did you start chewing gum?"

Han shrugged, "quit stogies."

"Good for you," Dom commented as Letty finally sped up the alley way. She got out of the car and glanced at the two men with a grin, "ready to make some plans to make some money?"

"Where you been," Dom asked.

Letty pushed down her sun glasses to give Dom one pointed look before pushing them back up, "I'm ready whenever you two are."

"I'm driving this car, you take the Mazda," he told her gruffly.

"Fine," she caught the keys he threw her way. As she walked by Han he asked, "what crawled up his butt?"

"Don't know," she replied glancing at his scowl and shrugged, "but the drive out will balance him out."

They made their way out of the city in a straight line and as they got into the desert they turned their walkie-talkies on. Letty expected Dom to test her and Han to make sure everything was up and running. She didn't expect an immediate beep followed by Dom's angry voice, "what the fuck is this Letty?"

"Do you know I'm actually not in the car with you? How the fuck do you expect me to see what you see fearless leader," she snapped back at him.

"Levonorgestrel? Plan B? What the fuck is Plan B?"

Letty cursed and threw her walkie-talkie into the passenger seat. Why the fuck did he have to go through her glove compartment? That car was more hers then his! And now he was mad and would inevitably fuck up everything today!

"Letty, don't ignore me! What the fuck is going on?"

She snatched the walkie-talkie and growled, "can we talk about this later? Like maybe when we're alone? Or maybe when we're not en route to a business meeting? Or anytime when I don't have to wear a gun?"

There was silence for a few long moments before she heard Han's voice, "I'm going to take a drive about 10 kilos to the west. Meet me there when you're ready."

Letty watched the red car drive out of sequence and immediately Dom's car pulled over. She was tempted to keep driving but knew that he would be furious it she did. She pulled beside him and wasn't surprised when he yanked her door open.

"Are you pregnant," he asked.

"No, which is why I got the medicine. It's new, you're supposed to take it within 72 hours of an unsafe sexual encounter."

"For what," he asked.

"To prevent pregnancy you big fucking gorilla! Are you going to let me stand up?"

He squatted down so they were eye to eye, "what's going on?"

Letty sighed and glanced toward the sky, begging for a little omnipotent assistance. She looked at him, "you didn't use a condom last night. It was the first time we've slipped up in a long time. I can't get pregnant right now Dom. I can't go through it again with a gun under my arm and a knife on my thigh."

Dom sighed and took her hand, "don't keep me out of the loop Letty. I support every decision you make. I'm your man, and you're my woman. I need to know when something is bothering you to make it right."

"It's not that I don't want your baby. I just promised myself that the next time I got pregnant I would be as calm and safe as possible. That's what we're working for, Dom. We're working for that future."

"Okay," he nodded after a long pause and then kissed her until she couldn't breathe. They looked each other in the eye and understood one another perfectly.

"Now can we go make some money," she wondered.

He stood and nodded, "after all this shit let's find a beach."

Letty grinned up at him, "with golden sand and plenty of private areas."

"Yeah, I think we need a vacation," he waited until she was standing beside him to pull her close into his body. He slid his hand up her back, felt the strap of the shoulder holster that held her gun to the left side of her rib cage. He knew in that moment that he loved her. Even if it all went to hell, for this moment he knew with absolute certainty that he would never love another woman as much as he loved her.

He couldn't find the words to tell her what she did to his heart. So he just looked down at her and murmured, "marry me."

Her smile fell. Letty looked him in the eyes for a long moment, "what?"

"Babies are in the future, if we ever get our shit together. But you and me, we're both here now. Marry me."

For a long moment she had no thoughts because she was entirely focused on the fact that her heart was about to burst. Finally she sucked in a breath and Letty nodded, she held him tightly and laughed as he lifted her from the ground and swung her around, "yes! Si, Papi, me casare contigo. Yes, I'll marry you!"


	14. September 1, 2007

**Enjoy the "togetherness" of this chapter because there is a big gap before they're together like this again. My friends, we are finally approaching the end of the Middle Ages and running straight into the FF4 and FF5 time frame!**

September 1, 2007

Zapopan, Mexico

"If you don't shut the fuck up on your own I'll do it for you." It wasn't a warning. It was a promise. And Letty was nothing if she wasn't someone who kept her promises. The beautiful brunette who had approached Dom so innocently with not-so-innocent intent had had no idea that Letty had been in the café Dom had been standing outside of. The beautiful brunette couldn't have known that Letty had a sore spot for women in short skirts and collapsing necklines. She especially couldn't have known that trying to verbally spar over who had rights to rub up on Dom was a non-argument, it simply wasn't done.

"Letty," Dom's voice was placating, trying without really trying, to stop the powder keg that was his wife. You would think putting a ring on it would make her less possessive. He grinned on the inside because if he did on his face at that moment she would smack it off of him. Truth be told, he loved that she only wanted her hands on him, her taste on his lips.

"Who do you think you are," the beautiful brunette asked giving Letty an assessing gaze. She obviously wasn't impressed with the oil stains on her white wife beater and jean shorts.

"I think," Letty stepped into the girl's space, face to face, "that I'm his wife."

With that said Letty lifted one eyebrow in challenge, silently asking if the girl still wanted to play. Dom watched the beautiful brunette bow out with a not so graceful stumble down the street.

"The neighbors are going to gossip," Dom mentioned as he followed Letty's retreating figure.

She didn't spare him a glance, "can you try not to exude sex unless I'm right beside you to beat off skanks."

"I'll put that on the to-do list right under keeping my woman happy in bed." His smart ass reply made her pause and glance at him briefly, "what number is that on the list?"

He wrapped one muscled arm around her shoulder with a grin, "number two, right under keeping you happy in whatever car we happen to be in."

"Good answer," she conceded.

XOXO

Later that night as Dom laid with a sexually satisfied and completely exhausted Letty in his arms he thought back to the day they had traded vows. It had been five months after they had successfully heisted the guns with Xavier. Xavier had followed through with his end of the bargain gaining a cool $125,000 for his trouble. The quarter mil that he and Letty had pocketed had been exactly what they had needed for a long vacation. That vacation had led them to a beach in Panama. It was a gorgeous country and Dom thought he might go back there one day and set up a garage.

They had rented a small apartment in the city that was a short walk to the beach. It was on that beach that Dom had brought up the conversation of them getting married again. After the heist, that very day, something had changed in Letty. He couldn't put his finger on it but the happiness she had shown when he first suggested marriage had faded.

"I want to explore every beach in the world," Letty commented as she leaned on his strength. They stood watching the sunset for a few more moments before Dom extended his arm around her body, his hand open, a plain silver band in his hand. He felt her body stiffen and the breath she held.

"I want to explore them all with you. As your husband."

"Dom," her voice was pleading. Begging him, for what?

"You don't want it?" She had to have heard the silent question; you don't want me?

"Fuck!" She pushed away from him and walked away.

He had to have stood there for a solid minute before anger set in. His pride was aching and his ego was deflated. He sucked in a painful breath and didn't glance at where she walked off to as he threw the band into the ocean. Fuck her! If she didn't want him anymore, and didn't storming off in the middle of a marriage proposal mean that, then fuck her and all of her female brooding, amazing mechanic, with a fantastic ass, stupid, never really girly emotional, but silently loving, stupid ass, bitch ass! He had sped walked to the nearest bar and polished off a bottle of tequila. He had ended up back at their apartment. The lights had been off, she hadn't come home. So his drunk ass had went back out and grabbed the first skank he could find.

It wasn't until he laid the faceless woman down on the bed, his and Letty's bed, that he looked at the bedside stand and saw a silver cross glistening in the moonlight. He had never seen it before but he knew that it was gift from Letty and suddenly all of the blood fled his cock and began to leak out of his broken heart.

"Get out," he whispered to the girl as he rolled off of her, dropping his arm over his eyes.

"Que," the girl was confused.

"Fuera de aqui," the voice ordered from the corner of the room. Dom sat up straight in bed, his head swimming, as the girl rushed out of the room. He squinted through the darkness toward the chair in the corner. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he saw the look on her face and knew her too well to think for even one second that she was okay.

"I'm the one that you walked out on," he told her, the tequila pushing past his natural tendency to wait for others to speak first. He grabbed the cross, "is this a consolation prize? Were you going to watch me fuck her?"

She went to him and tightly wrapped her hand around the hand that held the cross, "it matches the cross you gave me. I don't want rings. They don't fit into our lifestyle."

"What are you saying?" She had destroyed him not even twelve hours before, he was going to make her work for this one.

"I'm saying I can't leave you," and by the tone of her voice she considered it a weakness.

"So because you can't leave you'll marry me?"

"No," her voice softened and she glanced away for a moment, "shit, I am fucking this up. No, Dom, I'm not staying because I can't leave. I'm staying because I love you. I'm scared because you can leave. This isn't even or fair. I can't walk but you can pack up in the middle of the day or at night or whenever you feel like it. Don't think that because we've been together down here for two years that I've forgotten how easily you used to go."

"To protect you," he told her for the millionth time. He scowled then, "is that why you got so cold on the subject? Because doing the heist with Xavier reminded you of how we survive? Reminded you that we made danger our career choice?"

"I don't care what the excuse, if I trade vows with you and you leave me without a word ever again-" she cut off her words, shaking her head. She couldn't even express how she would cope, it would be a disaster though; she did stupid things when she had to chase after her man's dumb ass.

He rose, albeit unsteadily, and cupped her face, "don't borrow trouble Letty."

"Don't make me feel like I'm making this all up in my head," she argued, trying to move his hands but he wouldn't budge.

"Letty, take a long hard look at me and figure out if this is something you can work with or not."

Her chocolate eyes drilled through him and she smiled even though her eyes were haunted, "don't make me regret this Dom. I trust you to save my life when someone is trying to kill me. But now I have to trust you to stay. I have to trust you with my whole heart."

He nodded solemnly, he didn't doubt that trust in her, but then again she'd never given him reason to. They exchanged vows a day later on that beach during sun rise. Both of them solidified the exchange by slipping their respective crosses onto one another. Neither of them had removed them since, a sign that neither of them would be walking off without the other again.

XOXO

Despite Letty's grand proclamation to the brunette the day before she didn't often introduce herself as Dom's wife. She was simply Letty, a garage hand, a performance driver, or a skilled gunman at your back. It did sometimes irritate him that he never knew when she would pull out the wife card.

He watched her then as she argued in Spanish with a patron telling her that they were overcharging him for new brake pads. He listened intently to the conversation, these days he could understand almost everything said but his own speaking ability remained subpar.

"I don't need to drive it to know that they'll squeak because they are cheap," the man's voice was rising.

Letty's eyebrow rose, "the parts are new and they were placed perfectly."

"I want them done right," the man would not be pacified. He looked toward Dom, and Dom just knew he was about to say something to make her angry, "maybe you should let the man handle the business since it's obvious you can't little girl."

"Shit," Dom winced on behalf of the man's jaw as Letty swung. The crack resounded through the garage. When the man stood up to his full height again the look in his eyes turned Dom's blood cold. Even though he knew it would piss her off he stepped in front of Letty. "I don't recommend touching my wife. It won't end well for you."

"Wife?" The man looked her up and down incredulously, "you don't have very good taste do you?"

Letty winced then because even though she had a mean right hook Dom's was far superior. Dom laid the man out with one blow. Letty looked at the man from around Dom's bulky frame.

"For the record I want to say he had it coming. The brakes were perfectly placed."

"Why do you always have to draw first blood," Dom asked as he watched the man rise and leave angrily muttering obscenities on his way out.

"I don't know but if I draw first blood you make them drain the rest," Letty replied. She stepped in front of him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, "drawing first blood gets me hot."

"It would, you sadist," Dom pulled her closer until her chest pressed to his. The kiss he gave her was slow and long, the perfect meeting of lips with small teasing nips until her mouth opened wide for his tongue. One strong hand traveled down and palmed her soft butt cheek as he pushed her closer to his sudden erection.

"This is hot! Can I videotape it?" Dom knew Santo's voice anywhere. He glanced up with a grin before leisurely ending the kiss. He felt Letty stiffen. She took her cue from him, if he wasn't concerned about their guest then she wouldn't be either.

"Who are you," Letty asked, turning in Dom's arms to stare at the stranger. Her quick assessment told her this was a friend of Dom's from the Dominican Republic and that he was a goofball.

"Leticia Toretto," Santo grinned at Letty. He held his hand out with a grin. When Letty placed her hand in his he kissed it before she knew what his intention was. She snatched her hand back and wiped it on Dom's wife beater.

"That's what it says on my Blockbuster card." Dom grinned at her smart ass remark. They closed up shop quickly, Dom was obviously in a rush to find out about what was happening in his mother's hometown. Letty followed him halfheartedly because she knew that the news was going to unsettle her.

Dom waited until they were halfway through dinner before putting his fork down and sitting back in his seat, "what's going on?"

Santo's grin at a joke Letty had just said fell. He took a long sip of his beer and sighed, "we need a driver."

"For what," Letty asked, leaning forward with interest.

"A small group of bandoleros are moving around the DR selling bootleg merchandise stolen from US exports. The poor people found with the merchandise are being arrested, leaving their families without needed members to help with the fields and the bills."

"Police," the word was a question, and at that point all Dom had to say.

"Corrupt."

"This something that we'll be finishing quickly?"

Santo grinned sheepishly and apologetically at Letty, "no."

"Can I speak to him alone," Dom was still sitting back in his chair. He shared one long look with Letty. He saw the look in her eyes, he knew that she was well aware that if she gave him the space to make this deal he would be leaving her again. But if she was ever going to trust him to keep her in the loop and come home to her it was going to be now.

Letty rose and nodded curtly once, "clean up your mess when you're done."

XOXO

Dom found her in their bedroom pulling her wet hair into a bun. She was dressed in his boxers and a plain white bra, the look on her face told him that she all ready knew everything he was about to say.

"How long?" She sat on the bed and looked up at him expectantly.

He sat across from her and took a moment to soak her in. She was his perfect. Everything about her from her looks to the strength of her character attracted him. He didn't think there was another woman on Earth, no matter her integrity or badass persona, who would be perfectly matched to him the way his wife was. She had stood by him even when he was falling apart. He had to comfort her now, even when she wasn't asking for it, so she knew that he was well aware of what he had waiting at home.

"One year, maybe more."

Letty nodded, "tonight?" She was asking him if he was leaving her again that night.

Suddenly his mouth was dry. He didn't want to say yes, he didn't want to walk away, but he owed Santo and he owed the town that had housed him during some of the worst periods of his life.

"You're my husband," she put her hand on his. The smile she gave him was genuine, "I'll wait for you."

"I'll call you as often as possible," he promised as he pulled her across the bed and onto his lap.

"At least once a week," she argued.

Dom nipped her lip before kissing her, "I'll send money."

"I'll make my own money."

"Promise me you won't follow me unless I tell you it's safe."

She sighed and rested her face on his shoulder, "I won't make promises I can't keep any more than you will."

"You're life," he murmured the words, a reminder of what she represented to him, and a recognition of the spot she had secured. She heard him through his chest as she felt his heart beat. Finally she sat up on his lap and unsnapped her bra. He accidently ripped out a few of her hairs as he took out her hair tie, releasing her wet hair down her back.

"Show me." It was an invitation. Dom was gentle with her that night although it was a punishing kind of gentle that made Letty ache to verbalize all the emotions he made her feel. She watched him as he took off the condom and fell back onto the bed beside her. He was smirking even with his eyes closed and she found herself very close to tears. She didn't allow herself to shed them but they burned her, and reminded her that she had to hold everything together while he was away. She had the feeling that it would be a long time before she would be side by side with him again. She knew that she could handle anything that came her way but it didn't stop her from wanting to ask him to stay. In the end she wouldn't make this any harder on him. Instead she looked at him until he finally glanced at her, a question in his eyes. She smiled and repeated his earlier words, "you're life."


	15. September 1, 2008

September 1, 2008

Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic

Dom stood on a hill at the top of a winding road looking out over the city that he was about to go to bat for. What had started out as a mission to help bring down a black market group had ended up becoming an issue of livelihood. Fuel. This town needed it and didn't have it. And although it was a bitch, he knew that he couldn't leave without helping to bring the town to its full fruition. He felt the cross hanging around his neck and was reminded that he wasn't the only one longing these days. He hadn't been able to meet up with Letty at Leon's house the way he had planned to a couple of months before. And now it didn't look like he'd be home for Christmas either. It had been way too long since he'd had his woman beside him. The last time he had called their phone sex had been so hot that he swore he almost felt her breath in his neck and her lips kiss his jaw.

The truth was that what he was starting to plan with Omar and Leo was going to be explosive and that only meant one conclusion in Dom's world; running from the police. He'd get the job done, he always did, but he would have to lay very low afterward for a very long time. He didn't know what that meant for him and Letty yet. His phone rang and he looked down at Santo's cell phone with a grin. It wasn't weird for the man to have more than one number so Dom had confiscated one because it was too dangerous to have his own. Only a few people knew the number and Letty wasn't one of them in case someone was tracking his phone calls. However, his ever inventive and efficient wife had found out the number.

"Yeah?" He didn't bother with small talk.

"I miss your face." She didn't bother with small talk either.

He sighed as he rubbed a hand down his face unknowing that he looked so much like his father that he might have been the man's twin.

"Baby, I miss a lot more than your face."

This time she sighed. "Let me come."

His heart tightened in his chest. How easy it would be to say yes. He knew he could count on her to pull her weight. But when it came right down to it he couldn't stand the thought her getting caught in his cross fire with the pigs.

"Not now."

"Don't tell me no," she argued. He could see her in his mind, looking out at the paganas in her mother's hometown with the stubborn tilt of her chin she sometimes had.

"Hear me on this Letty, I won't have you here when everything is still so up in the air. A lot of people are going to be pissed off about what's going to go down. I will not have you hurt because of me. Period."

"Dom, I'm a grown up. I make my own decisions."

"You're also my wife. If I tell you it isn't safe for you then you need to be a grown up and suck it up. You can't throw a fit and behave irrationally. You need to wait until its safe because I love you baby."

This time she growled through the phone before calling him a string of obscenities. He almost grinned when she switched into an angry rant in Spanish. Finally she stopped and then huffed, "fine. But I don't like this. It's all ready been a year."

"I know it," he knew she was coming around so his voice softened.

"You need to remember that you're my husband. If I tell you it's been too long and we need to be together you need to take that into consideration. I won't be your long distance lover forever Dom," his heart dropped before she continued. "If it takes too long I'll find you and to hell with the rest of it."

Dom remembered the words she had said a few years before and repeated them nostalgically, "we work this world together or we don't work it at all."

"That was a hard night. I thought I'd wake up and you'd be gone," she admitted.

"Shit, I thought I'd wake up and have to leave."

"I wore you out that night on purpose." Her voice was conspiratorial.

He laughed out loud then. That she would dare to even hint that his sexual stamina was not up to par was laughable. On more than one occasion he had fucked her to sleep and she knew it.

The beeping on the phone signaled that he had another phone call. "I have to go baby. Don't call me on this line often. You hear me?"

"Yeah I hear you. Don't let it be so long in between calls that I have to."

"Yeah I'm hearing you," he echoed. "I'll talk to you soon. Did Leon send you that letter?"

He heard the grin on her voice, "yes, and how you managed to fit those underwear in the envelope I'll never know. And if you think I'll wear them for just any occasion you're wrong buster."

"Letty…" his voice drifted off. There was so much to say that he just couldn't put into words.

"Yeah, Dom, I hear you. Me too."

Dom listened as she hung up and immediately he felt his spirit lower. She energized him with just a few words. Now it was back down to business. The business of getting back to her. He picked up the call waiting, "yeah?"

"Omar," he identified himself quickly, "Leo got arrested again."

"Is that his job? He's gotten arrested more while I've been here then everyone else I know all together."

"Santo doesn't know if we can get in with Elvis without Leo, the bastard knows everyone," Omar conceded.

Dom thought for a moment, "tell him to give us two weeks and we'll get him out for the meeting. But when we do he'll have to disappear for a couple of weeks after the meeting before we make good."

"Okay." Dom put the phone back into his pocket and looked out at the land once more. He would love to show this to Letty one day. He couldn't think of anything better than laying her out on part of the hundreds of miles of beach and making love to her until they both forgot the frustration of the last year.

XOXO

Toretto Household

Letty watched Mia as they set out the dishes for dinner. The girl who was alternately her best friend and annoying younger sister was missing something and Letty just couldn't put her finger on it. She had graduated from Nursing school and had been working in a high acuity, level 1 Trauma Center since. It was hardcore stuff but that wasn't a surprise. Torettos found danger and intrigue no matter what they chose as a day job. It had been a long time since she'd been able to see her because she had been crossing Mexico checking out the multitude of garages she and Dom owned around the country. Now she realized that she should have come home to LA first. Mia looked lonely and just a little lost too.

"Want to talk about it?"

Mia didn't look up at Letty because her friend knew her too well. It wasn't Letty's problem that she was so lonely in this big house all alone with nothing but the whispers of the past that she couldn't sleep at night. It wasn't Letty's problem that she knew, deep in her bones, that something was coming that would rock their world again.

"Do you miss him?"

That question made Mia look up. No one had discussed Brian with her since that day so many years ago. That Letty would choose now was strange. "Why do you ask that?"

"Because you're gorgeous and you're smart. Because there is no reason you don't have a man in your life except by preference." Letty sat down then and the look she gave Mia told her friend that whatever she was about to say it was in safe keeping.

"I miss trusting men," Mia admitted heavily.

"Is this about Dom?" Letty had never considered it before but Mia had lost a lot more than a family of misfits. She had lost her big brother again and it had to have hurt her as deeply as it had hurt Letty.

Mia leaned her head on her elbows on the table, "it's about Dom and Brian. It's about Dom not listening to me and then having to leave me alone. It's about Brian lying to me and then having to leave me alone. It's about how everyone leaves me!"

Letty put her hand on Mia's in complete commiseration, but she didn't push her own feelings of abandonment on her best friend. "I understand and I'm sorry."

"How do you get past this? When Dom left back then you went nuts! Now you're like serenity incarnate!"

That was a tricky question to answer. She and Dom hadn't told many people that they had gotten married. That was his preference, she didn't really give a damn who knew but she understood his reasoning. The more people who knew, the more likely the Feds would know. Santo just happened to know everyone's business so it hadn't been a surprise that he had known they were married. But she couldn't tell Mia now, a year and a half later, that she was officially her sister-in-law. She couldn't tell Mia that there was security in spending years growing together and solidifying those years with a simple beach ceremony.

"Letty? How did you get past it?"

Letty smiled at her and felt very much like her sister, "you hit the bottom, do some stupid shit, and then you give yourself a time out. During that time out you decide what you can live with and what you'll fight for. You'll have your time Mia. It's inevitable."

XOXO

Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic

Dom sipped his imported Corona as he watched everyone sit down. Santo was at the meeting because he was the member of the team that would get all of their equipment and find out when the tankers would be moving up the hill. He wasn't a precision driver, but his talents were certainly numerous. Leo and Omar would drive one truck, and Dom was hoping that Han had received the message he had sent to him in New York and was on his way. Even then they would be down one stunt man which meant Dom might have to fill that void; difficult because he wasn't a small man.

"How's Leo doing," Dom asked Omar.

Omar rolled his eyes and spoke in dry Dominican, "he'll live. He led a riot about stealing wild chickens on the town square! For what? He's stupid!"

Dom laughed out loud at that. Leo got arrested once a month for everything from robbery to public riots to public exposure. He was a looney tune. And no one was more verbally irritated by his behavior then his cousin and best friend Omar.

"We'll get him out in time for the meeting," Santo questioned Dom. He was nervous, and rightly so. His whole family lived in this town. If things went bad it would go bad for every member in his family. Dom understood that anxiety.

"The night of the meeting because if we get him out too early we'll have cops everywhere." Dom explained.

"If he gives us his blessing then what?" Omar asked. It was possible Elvis would give the cold shoulder; it was up to Dom to figure out how to maneuver the man.

Dom sat back in his chair, "then we train. We don't do even one heist without training until each of us knows every eventuality. This won't be elementary work. We work like professionals and keep everyone alive."

He would not have a repeat of the LA heists. Everyone working with him would walk away even if it killed him in the process. He rubbed the silver cross around his neck and thought about his wife. She was in LA with Mia for the week and he missed them both more than he could think about right at that moment surrounded by other men.

XOXO

Two weeks later…

"I told you not to come unless I said it was safe," Dom pushed her against the wall in his beach house and chastised her before sliding his hands up under her shirt and cupping her breasts.

"I told you not to lay all of your sexy out unless I was around to beat off skanks," Letty replied as she unsnapped her jeans and slid the zipper down.

When he had looked up not thirty minutes earlier and focused in on his wife standing in front of him everything in his gray world went bright. She was amused by the position she found him in because she knew nothing had happened. She had been doubly amused because she had surprised him. Dom was very rarely surprised by anyone.

He licked his way up from her collar bone to her earlobe and bit it roughly before lifting her in his arms. He looked up at her with a grin, "I missed you."

Letty smiled down at him, forever enamored with being his life-sized trophy, "show me where we sleep."

Dom carried her into their bedroom. He gently dropped her into a standing position and helped her strip off all of her clothes. When she was naked in front of him he soaked in every detail of her body. When his gaze found her cross he smiled. She was a gift that he didn't deserve but God had seen fit to give him. He was blessed.

"Take off your clothes," she urged him. She helped him take off his sweater and then his jeans and so on until he was as naked as she was. He felt her eyes on his and knew that she was thinking the same thoughts he'd had.

He watched her kneel, he knew what she was about to do, but it was still a shock when her hot mouth enveloped his head in its moist heat and sucked. His cock jerked in her mouth as she teased him with long licks and cooling him by occasionally blowing on him. He buried his hand in her black waves and tossed his head back when she really got down to business. Letty was a professional at blowing Dom, he had been her only teacher and his cock her only practice subject. She knew what to do to drive him over the edge. So it was no surprise when she cupped his balls and went deep, that he came in giant, pulsating gushes in her mouth.

When he was spent in her mouth he helped her rise and brought her to his bathroom. They showered together for a long time. Dom washed the travel dirt off of her with a bar of plain soap, taking care to reach every inch of her skin. When he finished her skin he massaged her scalp with the shampoo and conditioner she preferred. She hadn't brought any with her, but in anticipation of her ever showing up he had a stash waiting for her. For a long time he just held her under the hot spray. The water turned tepid and Letty looked up at him, "how does this just get better over time?"

Dom was serious as he looked down at her, loving her with his eyes, "I don't know."

"Take me to bed," she ordered.

Dom laid her down on his bed and covered her body with his. Neither of them had intended for their first time together again to be this slow but it just felt right. He slid into her so slowly that she could count every inch as he entered. Letty wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding him down to her until they were chest to chest. Dom began to move in her, tilting her hips up to accept him deeper.

She moaned out loud as she opened her thighs wider, needing him to be close enough to lose herself in him. He grasped her hands until they laced fingers, he pulled their intertwined hands above her head, pressing down heavily on her chest as their thrusts became more frenzied. They made eye contact and neither of them could look away. He felt her contract, knew she was close, and then felt himself expanding and his balls tighten. She was so soft under him with her breasts pressed so hard against his chest and her pussy warm and welcoming.

"I…" he wanted to tell her something to explain the way she twisted him up but he couldn't find adequate words with his cock about to burst and her beautiful eyes staring straight into his soul.

She nodded quickly as her orgasm began, "I know." Her eyes never left his as he felt her body tighten around him, forcing his orgasm, forcing him to shatter inside of her. Their bodies contracted together and their fingers were still laced together. Finally Dom laid his head in the valley between her breasts in momentary exhaustion.

Her fingers crept up to the back of his head, rubbing his sensitive neck and behind his ears. She used to jokingly call him a puppy because his ears were so sensitive. He smiled at the thought of them when they were young.

"I missed you so much," she whispered the words.

Dom kissed her nipple, "you don't listen very well."

Letty grinned, "I learned selective hearing from the best."

He couldn't dispute that so he didn't try to. He moved up the bed and gathered her warm body to his until they were in a comfortable spooning position. In a closing move her laid his heavy leg over hers and sighed, "you're a good body pillow."

"You going to tell me what you're planning here," she questioned.

"Get some sleep," he replied, his eyes closed as he felt sleep creeping over him, "tomorrow I'm taking you to the beach."

**We are officially in the time period of Los Bandoleros. The "Two Weeks Later..." segment was my take on what happened after Letty showed up in the DR and the night before the beach scene. **


	16. September 1, 2009

Timeline:

09/2008: Los Bandoleros

03/2009: FF4

09/2009: end of heist from FF5

05/2010: epilogue of FF5

September 1, 2009

Artemisa, Cuba

The waves on the beach were a constant, soothing presence in Dom's mind as he thought over the events of the last year. It was crazy to him that one year ago he had been making love to his wife. It was crazy that she didn't exist anymore. Her presence was missing in his life, he was only half a man without her. Six months earlier he had received the call from Mia that had changed his life forever. _Letty's been murdered_! The words echoed in his head making him wince with the continued shock of that reality. Murdered to bring him home. Murdered to save him. Leon had warned him so many years ago. He had said that if Dom kept running Letty might one day get seriously hurt. That ignored warning burned on his conscience.

He had gone through so many stages in the grief process with such explosive results that he was afraid of what was next. He had killed. He had ended Fenix's life the way the man had ended Letty's life, with no remorse and absolutely no mercy. It hadn't been revenge. Even at that point, when everything inside of him was numb, he knew that killing the man wouldn't bring Letty back. If anything he was super aware that nothing would ever bring her back. And seeing her name on that tombstone, without his name attached, had hurt more than he could have ever imagined. He should have said to hell with the Feds. He should have told everyone who knew and loved them that he had finally made it official. He should have married her in a church in front of everyone. That led to a train of thought that drove him crazy some days. He hoped with everything he was that she hadn't died thinking he was hiding them because he was ashamed, that he could walk away without it breaking his heart.

Dom huffed out loud as he rose and walked over the beach toward the street. She had been everything he could have ever wanted. She had supported him, stood toe to toe with him, and had loved him. Shit, her brand of love had been specially formulated to get him hot no matter how pissed off or upset. He wished that his father was alive to help him through this. His dad had grieved his mother and somehow found peace, maybe not happiness, but something worth waking up for everyday. He had woken up one day in Panama as Dom and that night had sat broken in an airplane as a completely different man. He didn't think he would ever be the same man again. He didn't think he'd ever be quite right again.

He walked into his small apartment and was surprised to find the female cop, Elena, standing in his kitchen. The last time he had seen her was only a week ago, as he and his crew had left the broken city of Rio de Janeiro. Knowing her had created the first stir of life inside of him. She had lost someone irreplaceable too, it was so obvious now that he knew how it felt to have his balls ripped off and to be pistol whipped in the head at the same time. The shock of finding out your other half was gone from this world was something that changed you forever.

"What are you doing here?"

She shrugged, dropping the rag that she had been cleaning his counters with. She looked small, even a little lost, as she stood in the kitchen, her eyes focused on the floor. "I guess I wondered if there really was a spark."

Dom watched her tensely, she wilted a bit beneath his hard gaze before bucking up and meeting him eye to eye. It wasn't something Letty would have done. She would have held his gaze from the get go and then when enough time had passed she would have tossed up that eyebrow issuing a silent challenge. But he couldn't blame her for not being Letty anymore than she could blame him for not being her late husband. "Yeah. There's something there. She died six months ago."

Elena's light eyes became burdened with that knowledge, "it's been years and it's still…" She tapped her chest lightly as she looked away, but not before Dom saw the glaze of tears in the hazel depths.

Dom went to her and wrapped her in his arms because the reflection in her eyes might have been the only thing that had come close to identifying how broken he was. He felt her strong but small arms around his waist. There were only two tears, it was obvious that she wouldn't allow herself to weep. He smiled faintly, now that was very much like Letty.

"I don't need empty promises," she finally spoke as she took one small step back, "I just want to live for awhile. I was dead with him for a long time. Before it really is over for me I want to breathe."

Dom nodded at that, understanding that she was trying to tell him that she would never have those promises for him either. He took a breath and decided as quickly as he had always made decisions that he would go to dinner with her. The rest of the night, the rest of his life, was up in the air. But for one meal he was going to pretend to be alive again.

XOXO

Madrid, Spain

Andre walked into his shop and watched her polish the car that just come in the day before. For it to be done and polished at, he glanced at his watch, 9 in the morning only meant that she had spent another night awake. With nothing else to do with her restless body she had probably snuck in the garage and finished the work on the car. He frowned over the fact that it was the third time that week.

"You know that it's not healthy to stay awake for days on end," he mentioned casually in low Spanish.

Letty glanced over her shoulder at the garage owner, "what are you? A doctor?"

He didn't respond to her taunt and walked fully into the garage. He looked the car up and down, nodding his head at the detail put into it. Finally he glanced at her, "you've been here for three months Letty. What's going on?"

"I was here for almost a year last time and you practically begged me to stay," she argued with him. He liked knowing all of the details in everyone's lives. Letty was always a puzzle for him and he never quite knew when to back down.

"This is different. I may be old but I am not stupid. You walked back in here in June with bruises on every part of your body, still healing from rib fractures, and healing from a gun shot wound to the neck that could have paralyzed you if it had been, what did you tell me again? Oh yeah, 1cm closer to your spine. 1cm! I think it's about time that you tell me something."

Letty tossed the old rag she'd been polishing with to the ground and gave him a look that could have withered him on the spot, "you can't help me."

"I didn't say I could. What I can do is listen! And what I deserve is an explanation. I won't toss you out to fend for yourself and I damn sure won't go flapping my jaws to any strangers."

He watched her take a deep breath before she unbuttoned her plaid shirt. Understanding sunk deeply and quickly in the older gentleman as he took in the sight of her pregnant belly.

"He thinks I'm dead Andre," her voice broke because she knew that would be causing him pain. "I'm here, and I'm carrying his son, and he's hurting. I don't know what to do anymore. It used to be easy. Everything used to make sense. It's all fucked up now. I don't know what the right thing to do is anymore."

Andre sighed and took her hand while he gently placed his other hand on her belly, "we have a lot more to talk about. But not now. Now you go home and get some rest."

She looked like she would argue but he wouldn't have it, "this isn't about you anymore. It's about the baby. Go rest and I'll see you later."

XOXO

Letty sat on her leather chair looking out of the large windows as the sun went down. She had taken Andre's advice and spent the day resting. Surprisingly she had been able to sleep despite it being allusive since she had left LA. Now with her stomach full of her mother's recipe for fried pork and rice she had all the time in the world to think about the fact that she didn't know what the fuck she was doing. In LA everything had been clear. Dom had left her again, leaving his cross, a clear sign that he had never thought they would be able to be together again. She rolled her eyes as she remembered waking up and understanding that after her clear warning before they married he still chose to walk. She'd wrecked the bungalow. It was probably still a pile of ash. Oh yes, she'd set the whole thing on fire. But that was her style. Dom fucked up and she destroyed things. Then she'd gone home to LA and somehow Mia had known that everything was all wrong again. Seeing that pathetically devastated look reflecting in her best friend's eyes had set her off again. But then she had made the fateful decision to find Brian and force him to do right by their family by bringing their patriarch home. She had failed in that endeavor too. It seemed like she was just one big failure in general.

A knock on her door pulled her from her thoughts. She turned the light off and quietly pulled her hand gun out from where it was taped under the chair. She was nothing if she was not weary and cautious these days. She rose awkwardly, she was still getting used to her new girth. At the door she gently opened it and swung quickly, the nozzle of her gun snuggly pushed against the head of her visitor.

Andre looked at her with a look of alarm, "is this how you invite guests into your home?"

Letty lowered the weapon and placed in the waist band of her sweats above her butt. "Not usually, but then again you never know what kinds of guests will show up."

Andre stepped in and closed the door behind him and locked it, taking a cue from Letty that there may be danger lurking. He took a seat across from her leather chair and produced a bottle of Irish whiskey.

"I'm not really drinking these days," Letty told him pointedly.

He looked her up and down taking in her sweats pushed low and her white wife beater covering her round stomach. He didn't think she'd appreciate it if he told her, but she was a beautiful pregnant woman. Even though she was hurting her skin glowed and it suited her very well.

"I need to know what we're dealing with," he told her as he poured himself a healthy glassful.

"You're not dealing with anything," she told him pointedly. She sat Indian style on the leather chair and thoughtlessly rubbed her belly as she frowned at him, "I just need a safe place to lay low until after the baby's born."

"Leticia, if you think for one second I will let danger stalk you without helping in anyway I can then you don't know me."

She sighed heavily, talking more to herself than to Andre, "I don't think Braga will follow me here. I worked very hard for any trace of my existence to be erased. If Dom thinks I'm dead then I'm certain Braga does too."

"Then why the secrecy?"

"Because he's a powerful man. I need to keep a low profile until I can work again, by the time I get back into it I'll have hopefully fallen off of his radar."

"What about the baby," he asked.

Letty looked down at her belly. It had been almost completely flat until a couple of weeks ago. Like the first time, she was tragically inept when it came to knowing what was going on in her body. She had been so hurt when Dom had left and then so one-track minded on finding Brian and bringing Dom home that she had totally blocked out the fact that she was pregnant. She had found out about the pregnancy the night Braga had run her team down to Mexico. As she had laid on the ground after the wreck, staring up the nozzle of Fenix's gun, she had remembered her promise to herself and to Dom. She had sworn that if she got out of that sordid situation alive she would live calmly until the baby was safely born. Unfortunately, surviving meant running and pretending she was dead.

"I don't know how this will work yet. I just know that for the next three months I'm going to take it easy and lay low. I will not lose him. I will not lose this baby," she promised herself.

XOXO

Artemisa, Cuba

"What made you turn your sights to Rio de Janeiro?" Dom looked over to Elena as they sat on the dark beach, the full heavy moon hanging in the sky over them,

He shrugged, "it was where my best friend lived. We knew we could lay low there for a while."

"Which one was he?" She thought Vince had been one of the guys who had pulled the final heist.

Dom shook his head, another tragedy layered on his heart, "he got shot when Hobbs found our base. He's dead now."

"It's terrible to lose so much. Life, after life, after life. When does it ever end," she wondered and Dom could tell she was thinking about her own life.

He wrapped one arm around her shoulder in comfort. At first she was stiff but then he felt her relax under his massive arm. She felt smaller than Letty, her skin was cooler. Letty had always seemed like an extension of him, he never had to be careful of the weight of his arm on her. But she wasn't Letty because Letty was dead. It felt like a sucker punch every time he thought of it.

"It will always affect you this way, you'll just get better at hiding it," Elena whispered quietly.

He nodded, he felt so chaotic inside that it scared him. He couldn't be expected to live the rest of his life like this. He couldn't be expected not to go insane. Of all the people on the planet why her?

"Because it was her time. There was no logic, nothing that will bring you peace," Elena replied to the question he hadn't even realized he had voiced. "There will come a day when you can take a breath without feeling as if you're dying of guilt or agony."

Dom felt his mask slip, he knew his agony was on display for this woman to see but he just couldn't hold it anymore. It was just too heavy. He groaned out loud as Elena wrapped her arms around his neck and held him. He might have crushed her as he let go but she never protested his hold. Eventually his gaze found her eyes and the message was clear that they could both hurt together or, at least for a moment, feel alive together. He cupped her cheek with one hand and kissed her. And for the first time in six long months he spent a few hours at peace.

XOXO

Madrid, Spain

Letty laid in bed with her hand covering her belly button where the baby had just kicked her. He was a night owl like his parents. All day long while she was working on cars he would sleep, completely serene. Then at night she felt him moving all over, she even felt him stretching. It was inevitable that she would think of Dom when their baby was so active inside of her. He would love this. He would love every change in her body, he would even love the completely senseless emotional breakdowns she had for no reason that were so out of character. She knew she could go find him but what would that mean? Going to a man that persisted in leaving her time after time. Would he leave their son as easily? Or worse would he love his son enough to stay when he didn't love her enough. And he'd be angry with her for faking her own death. What would she say? _Fuck you Dom, you walked first! _Or, _I can't be the pathetic wife who chases you and gets two inches away from being killed for you!_ Or would she just let him hold her and pretend that they were solid until he up and left again. She couldn't be that woman anymore. Andre had been right. It wasn't about how much she wanted to be with Dom and it wasn't about how Dom never trusted her enough to stick with her. It was about their son. It was her job to deliver him safely into the world and then to keep him safe and happy. It tore out her heart but the fact was that she couldn't trust Dom not to break their son's heart as easily as he broke hers. She didn't know exactly what that meant yet, but she knew that in that moment she was exactly where she needed to be. Even if it wasn't where she wanted to be.

XOXO

Artemisa, Cuba

Dom sat naked on a random chair in the sparsely furnished apartment with his silver cross hanging from his hand. Elena was sleeping in his bed. He had fucked her but even though he was exhausted he couldn't find sleep beside her. Not when she was on Letty's side of the bed, not when her head was on the pillow cases Letty had bought in Panama. He was scared of the turn of his thoughts. He wasn't an illogical man but his heart refused to believe she was gone even after all those months. He missed her fiercely. He missed his parents, he wished he could see them and talk with them, but the pain from losing Letty was sharp and never ending. He still couldn't breathe and it was always worse at that time of the night. It was the time that he used to call her when he'd been in the Dominican and they'd talk about cars, or nonsense, or have the hottest phone sex imaginable. He always knew that at approximately two in the morning somewhere in the world his woman had her mind on him the way his was on her. Now the clock tormented him because she didn't exist anymore. He had fucked up. It was that simple. She had told him not to cut her out, not to walk away again, because she didn't know how she would cope. His wife, who was notoriously bad at verbalizing her feelings, had told him that everything would go to hell if he walked again and hadn't listened. And now she was dead trying to bring him home because she knew that's where he wanted to be. He knew that he would never regret anything as deeply as he regretted walking out on her in the Dominican. He rose and lifted the chair easily. It landed against the wall, breaking into fragments. His threw everything he could get his hands on, the couch, another chair, a random vase. Sweat poured from him as he heaved the furniture again and again. Finally when he was standing in the middle of his destruction he fell to his knees and punched the floor with the cross still cradled inside of his fist until he bled.


	17. September 1, 2010

September 1, 2010

Madrid, Spain

Someone was hunting her. She felt it instinctively, and she followed her instincts knowing they kept her alive on certain occasions when nothing else could. She quickly reloaded all of the weapons she had with her. She had just returned from a heist in Berlin but everything had been different this time. It had all started after her second military heist. She just felt like someone was watching her. Then she had seen Han with Giselle, and wasn't that a weird combination, though she was certain they hadn't seen her. Where Han was danger was sure to follow, she almost grinned at that thought. Then there had been an influx of American Feds which made her skin itch. And then they put out a hit out on her. She was officially a German fugitive. Which meant she was no longer dead.

"Letty," Andre whispered in the dark of the small chalet.

She turned and pulled him deeper into the shadows of the kitchen, "I have to go. It's time. I'm being followed."

"Where will you go," Andre asked.

"I'll disappear for awhile. The money I got from these heists should hold us over for almost six months while we travel."

"Wait," Andre turned and walked toward his book shelf, muttering as he went, "don't leave without saying goodbye."

Letty left him to find whatever he was looking for and went toward the guest room where they put the baby's crib when Letty was away. She entered quietly and looked down at her sleeping son. As usual, the sight of him could render her speechless and fill her with uncharacteristic emotion. He was nine months old with his grandfather's wise dark eyes, his mother's skin tone, and his father's facial features and unfortunately his temper. Christian was Toretto through and through. From how he came into the world to the way he was consistently on the highest percentiles on the charts, Letty found him exceptional. He wouldn't take kindly to being awakened from his sleep but she couldn't afford to wait until the morning. She had to get distance between them and whoever was after her.

She pulled out the pre-packed bag from under the crib and gently wrestled the blue blanket her son was grasping from him. She lifted him to her chest and wrapped the blue blanket around him, protecting him from prying eyes. He opened his eyes briefly and seemed satisfied with his mother moving him so he quickly fell back into a deep sleep.

Letty stepped back into the kitchen and watched as Andre held out a hand to her. She took the small box, plane tickets, and a manila folder. The box had once held a Movado but she sensed that he was giving her something else. When lights flashed through the window Letty's spine straightened.

"I have to go," she told him again. She didn't know how to thank him for caring enough to help prepare her if she had to leave in a rush.

Andre nodded, he wouldn't be the reason this woman and her son were caught, "you'll always have safety in our friendship. Go with God Leticia."

"Thank you," she looked him in the eyes while she said the words so he would know how sincerely she meant them.

He nodded briefly and pointed to the back door, "I'll see you again one day."

XOXO

Letty adjusted Christian on her breasts so she could open the manila folder. They had made it to the airport in record time with no followers. Thank God Christian had slept the entire time that Letty had walked and eventually uncovered the old hidden VW. She had briefly fed him before they had driven to a small airport, avoiding all of the places where people could be searching.

Now that she was on the plane she could take a breath. The first page was a letter written in Andre's writing in Spanish. Letty swallowed hard as she read the short letter which told her that she had family in Madrid now and that he would help her in any way that he could. He was a good man. He swore way too much and drank way too much whiskey, but he was good. The next page was a detailed report on Dominic Toretto. Letty almost lurched off of the seat. She had never spoken Dom's full name to Andre. There was no way he could know that Dom was her husband unless he had investigated her as well.

She couldn't stop scanning the papers, learning what her man had been up to in the past two years. None of what she learned surprised her, although if she had the information that Braga was brought down she may have made different decisions. It didn't matter though, motherhood hadn't changed the fact that she lived her life in black and white, what was done was done. The last page was what made her pause. The woman was beautiful, she didn't appear to have any rough edges. Elena. Letty almost sneered. He'd thought she was dead for half of a year and then promptly jumped into the bed of a police officer from a town where he brought down the biggest drug lord! That was Dom though, living on the edge.

Christian shifted on her. She looked down and watched as he rubbed the dark curls on his head. That was when she realized her tears had fallen on his downy head. He was old enough to recognize emotion and to reflect emotion, seeing her tears made his lower lip pop out ominously. Letty sucked it back, surprised with herself for allowing even that small weakness. She lifted him to her shoulder and rocked him gently as she whispered nonsense in quiet Spanish.

When he was calm again, chewing on his teething ring she tucked the folder away and opened the Movado box. As quickly as she opened it she closed it again, looking around to be sure no one had seen the contents. She didn't know how Andre had come across that many Benjamins but she sure as hell wasn't going to question him. Sometimes ignorance was the best course of action.

As the plane glided in the clear sky Letty's temper rose. She had never been a woman that led her life by society's rules or anyone else's. From the get go she had known what she wanted and had done everything possible to keep it. She had come close to not only losing her life but the life of her son. She had made a deal with the devil, who according to Andre's file was now married to Mia, and still found herself in the middle of the thick. She had never had a problem living a dangerous life until the moment she had found out about Christian's existence. Now she understood Dom's desire for a simple life. All he had wanted was a family and a job with cars that would pay the bills. Maybe some racing on the side and he was happy. Now that she had Christian she wished more and more often that she could see Mia and share this experience with her and their makeshift family. Even though she had always thought of herself as solitary she knew now that she was a social creature within the confines of her accepted family unit. She wanted that for her son. But even before that, she wanted him to know his father and feel the stability of love. She just couldn't trust that that stability would translate to physically being present.

Letty pulled Christian closer to her and sighed deeply. She couldn't think about any of that yet. She had to stick with the plan that would keep them both safe until she could come up with a better plan.

XOXO

Palma Soriano, Cuba

Dom held his 3-month-old nephew in the crook of his muscled arm as he watched the waves hit the beach and recede. Anthony Toretto O'Connor was all Toretto until you got to the fuzzy blond hair on his head and his serious blue eyes. Mia was delighted with the mixture of course, proudly showing him to anyone who showed an interest. Dom was surprised he had gotten a few hours alone with the kid considering that Mia took him everywhere with her. But Brian had insisted on taking his wife on a romantic dinner alone. Dom didn't want to think about what was probably happening at that very moment. She was still his baby sister after all.

His nephew opened his eyes and glanced at him with tired eyes. He felt completely comfortable with his uncle, as seen when he stretched and then rewarded Dom with a huge gummy smile.

"Is he awake yet," Elena asked from behind him.

Dom nodded and looked up at her, "yeah, and he'll be hungry soon."

"I'll take him," he watched her lift Anthony, she smiled down at him as she walked back toward Brian and Mia's villa. Dom turned back toward the waves, his arms empty again. Although he hadn't dwelled on Letty's miscarriage after their explosive argument in Mexico, he did occasionally wonder what their child would have been like. It was strange that he still wondered. He and Elena had been together for a year, neither of them spoke of love although it was clear they had love for one another. He just didn't think he could make that kind of commitment with another woman. Love and children were a thing of the past for him. He was content now, more peaceful then he ever thought he would be.

"Dom," he looked up, surprised that the couple was home so early. He stood with a grin when he saw Giselle and Han standing with them.

"Being monogamous suites you," Dom greeted Han.

Han gave a halfhearted grin before glancing at Brian, reassurance that Dom wouldn't kill him when he told him what he had to say. Dom began to frown, "what's up?"

"This," Giselle handed him one photograph, she didn't believe in sugar coating things that really couldn't be sugar coated.

Dom sucked in everything about her. Her hair was longer then she'd had it since she was twelve, pulled back into a ponytail. She'd gained weight but it suited her well. There was a healing skin graft on the area between her left shoulder and neck. Finally he looked up, his whole body had gone numb, "where?"

"Berlin. I thought I saw her after dinner one night, but naturally assumed it couldn't be her. Then this picture was posted on the German news. They used her name: Leticia Ortiz. Her finger prints were found on a heisted military convoy that had been passing through Germany."

His thoughts tumbled together as everything he'd been though in the last eighteen months came full circle. Just five minutes ago there had been no hope and now she was out there somewhere. If she wasn't with him, if she had to allow him to believe she was dead, then it was to protect him. His mind wouldn't allow him to entertain the idea that she had turned her back on him.

"We leave bright and early," Dom told them as he slid the photo into his back pocket.

"Is that smart?"

Dom looked at Han incredulously, "you just told me that my wife is alive and that she's a fugitive!"

"Your what," Mia stepped up to the group with Anthony in her arms. She had gone inside first to tell Elena what was going on and give her time to figure herself out. When Dom didn't reply for a long moment Mia stepped closer to him, anger on her face, "you married her and never told me?"

"At the time I didn't think we could risk letting anyone know," Dom explained.

Mia shoved him with her free hand, "she was my sister-in-law and you never told me!"

"Back off Mia," Dom warned her, very conscious of the fact that she was holding his nephew.

"Don't tell me to back off! If you think for one second you can find her after all of the bullshit and just casually reclaim your place then you are crazy! You married her and then you left her. No one on Earth is as happy as I am that she is alive somewhere but I'll be damned if you'll ruin anything going for her. All this time I thought you were just as much a victim as her because we know intimately that it's harder to be the one who lives. I get it now. I get why she was so fucked up in her head before the accident. You married her, gave her vows, and walked!"

"I did what I thought I had to do," he yelled at her, something he rarely did. If he couldn't diffuse situations with quiet words then he'd just swing but that train of thought didn't even come close to applying to his baby sister. She could verbally and physically break him down and he would never lift one finger. "You think it was easy for me to leave my cross? To leave my vows?"

"You tell me Dom. You're always right, your way is always best. You weren't there the months before the accident. I was and it breaks my heart that I couldn't support her they way I could have if I had known. It wasn't your right to marry her and keep it a secret. It wasn't your right to leave without a word. And now it's sure as hell not your right to just rush into Berlin and think that everything will fall in with your plans."

He was seething, his fists clenched so tightly that his fingers were getting numb. What was crazy was that he couldn't really argue the point anymore. He knew that walking out was wrong.

"What do you want from me Mia? I've been punished every second for eighteen months for it! I fucked up. Is that what you need to hear? I'm the fuck up. But she's my wife and I have never loved the way I love her. If she is alive somewhere then my place is with her, doing whatever she's doing, being her back bone, helping her, doing whatever it takes to keep her safe. That is my right because she is never going to find anyone else on this entire planet who will love her the way she needs it."

Mia's eyes welled with tears as he yelled at her. She held his gaze even as she cuddled the baby closer to her breast. Brian stepped up to them cautiously, "let's put some feelers out, see what's really up, and then make a plan."

Dom nodded curtly, finally breaking his sister's gaze and taking a deep breath. He rubbed his head, trying to muddle through everything going on inside of him. Mia slid Anthony into Brian's waiting arms and took a deep breath, a frown still covering her face, "come inside so we can get started. Have you eaten dinner yet?"

He knew arguments with Mia were done when she offered food. She would probably never bring up the conversation again. He nodded and followed her and the rest of the group back into the villa.

XOXO

Panama City, Panama

Letty sat in a leather chair oddly reminiscent of the one she had bought in Madrid. Leave it to Andre to remember her furniture preference. The apartment he had directed her to via the contents of manila envelope was even equipped with a crib and walker. She had pulled all of the information about the group out and laid it on the table. They were extremely wanted and extremely rich these days. Even Letty had to give it up to Dom. He had devised a hit-or-miss plan that had paid off big time. He had also attracted the attention of Luke Hobbs who also had a place in the file. He was a wolf, if you were his prey then you were as good as caught. With the exception of Dom. Letty grinned down at the attractive Fed thinking that if she hadn't been able to catch Dom then even this guy didn't stand a chance.

The detective had narrowed the possible places that Dom could be to a few locations. She didn't know who the detective was but he was fucking brilliant as far as she was concerned. Letty wasn't sure what the next step should be. She had to go back to Berlin for at least one more heist because if she didn't deliver there would be hell to pay. She didn't think it was her boss who had sent people after her. But that left few other alternatives. Braga was a non-issue now. But to discount his power and the length of his follower's memories wouldn't be wise. Now there was also a chance that it could be this Hobbs character. The one thing she had going for her was that no one was aware that Christian existed.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Christian's cry from the crib. She rose and grinned down at him in greeting. He was sitting up, his eyes still droopy with sleep. He reached his arms in the air, a clear indication that he wanted to hang out.

Letty lifted him easily and kissed his warm cheek before settling him in her arms. He laid his head on her shoulder for a moment as the last remnants of sleep left him. The rest of the morning was spent keeping to Christian's routine. Breakfast was a banana and milk softened cheerios. The morning was a long walk around the people infested markets where it would be difficult to be spotted in the large crowd. After lunch while Christian took his nap Letty decided on at least one course of action. She could only hope that it would be the right decision for her family. And if it all went to hell she could only hope that he would do the right thing by Christian.

XOXO

Palma Soriano, Cuba

Dom walked into the villa quietly around midnight. He'd come to know Elena very well in the last year. She wasn't a woman prone to hysterics or irrational behavior. She thought her actions and words through. So it really wasn't any surprise that she was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for him and she had three suitcases all ready packed and waiting by the door.

He stood in the doorway for a long time, not knowing how to tell her what was on his mind. Finally she smiled up at him, a genuine smile that hurt his heart even as it lightened it, "I would kick your ass to the curb in a second if he came back."

He laughed out loud, finally sitting down at the table with her. They laughed together for a long moment before the realization sunk in completely. Dom knew he would never see her again. Not just out of respect for Letty, but because it wouldn't be fair to her. He had never loved her the way that he loved Letty and flashing that relationship in front of her would be cruel.

"You've worn that cross every day that I've known you because somewhere inside you knew it wasn't hopeless. I'm so happy that you were right." She put her hand over his and smiled as her eyes watered.

"Thank you Elena. I wouldn't have gotten through the last couple of months without your help."

She nodded sympathetically and then gave him a conspiratorial grin and wink, "it was my pleasure!"

He watched her open two beers. He accepted his and tapped it against hers, "to you."

"To me then," she agreed. After taking her sip she sat forward, "what will you do?"

They sat at that table for hours talking that night and the next morning Dom drove her to the airport. As he watched her plane jet across the sky he thanked God for sending her into his life when he'd needed it and for bringing Letty back to him.

XOXO

Four Weeks Later...

Berlin, Germany

Letty sat up straight in her bed. She was being hunted. Quietly she pulled her fully loaded .22 caliber into her left hand, she had better aim with the left. She rolled to the floor, dropping silently before gently easing across the floor boards toward the bathroom. A light turned on outside of the house, lighting everything like the sun. Only a moment later she heard them break down the front door. She rose then and ran for the bathroom, no matter what she had to make it to the bathroom. Her bedroom door broke open and the shadow of a man fell over her.

"Fuck it," she sneered and began to fire. Bullets sprayed toward her in retaliation. Finally she jumped the last two feet and fell into the bathroom, tripping a wire and the other half of the house exploded.

"What the fuck!" The expletive made her smile. Yeah, she wasn't going down without a big fight and she damn sure was going to take some others with her.

She quickly reloaded her gun and pulled her spare from behind the toilet. The shadow was yelling at his people to stop firing.

"Leticia Ortiz, we know who you are. This does not have to be where you die."

"Go fuck yourself," she replied and sprayed another round of bullets. She had a never ending arsenal of ammo in the bathroom. She could do this all night.

"God damn it, stop shooting at me!"

"Get the fuck out of my house and I'll consider it," she replied.

The bathroom window smashed open as the shadowed man came into the bathroom door way. Letty aimed the gun but before she could pull the trigger she felt the butt of a gun from whoever had jumped through the window in her hair.

"Please put the gun down," the man who was holding the gun asked her. She was surprised that he sounded so sincere.

"I really want to shoot him," Letty motioned her head slightly indicating the man in the shadows.

The man snapped on her bathroom light and she immediately recognized him as Agent Hobbs, "your boyfriend has the same problem."

Hobbs motioned to the other agent and Letty got one more bullet out before the man smashed his gun against her head and she passed out.

XOXO

Palma Soriano, Cuba

Dom threw the newest file across the kitchen. This was the third private investigator they had used, not to mention countless government contacts in countless countries that had been unable to find tangible evidence of what the hell Letty was doing or where she was living. It shouldn't be this difficult to find one person. He said as much to Brian when he walked into the kitchen, his eyes questioning the mess.

"Dude, can you even imagine how hard it would be to find her not once, not twice, but three times?"

He soaked that in. Letty had found him multiple times, even found him in the club that night in the Dominican. If she could be that persistent for him he could do no less than the same for her.

"I want instant gratification," he admitted.

Mia walked into the kitchen and gently deposited Anthony into Dom's arms. She immediately picked up on the conversation and ignored the papers Brian was picking up, "working for something won't kill you."

"This isn't just something. This is Letty. I don't like the idea of her heisting convoys without me there."

Mia laughed at that as she pulled vegetables out of her grocery sack, "you would be mad because you're not the ring leader."

"It's making me nervous that no one is willing to talk about what's going on in Germany. Not even the scummiest bottom feeder or highest ranking corrupt official. It makes me more nervous that no one will talk even with us flashing out all of this money."

"Maybe you were right to begin with. If no one will talk then maybe we just need to go there and take care of business ourselves."

Brian and Dom stared at Mia incredulously. Brian looked at Dom and then back to Mia, "what do you mean 'we'?"

Mia grinned at them, her smile widening as she noticed that Anthony was looking at her, "_we_ are a family. We work this world together or we don't work it at all."

"Where did you hear that," Dom asked, his attention automatically in tune to Mia.

She shrugged, "Letty's Mom used to say it to her father I guess, and when they moved here her Mom would say it to Letty."

Dom rose, he didn't believe in coincidences anymore. He needed action now. His instincts were telling him to find her fast. The phone rang and Dom barely paid attention as he deposited Anthony into the bassinet in the kitchen.

"What," Brian's shocked exclamation made Dom and Mia pause. Brian was staring at Dom, his face white.

Dom knew that expression. It was an expression people had before they told you that shit had gone from bad to worse. He took the phone from Brian, "hello?"

"It's Leon. I wasn't supposed to call you unless I couldn't get into contact with her today. Something had to have gone all wrong because the cell phone she only uses for me is going straight to voice mail."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" But he all ready knew. He felt his spine stiffen as he waited for Leon to finish.

"Letty. Whoever has been after her must have gotten her. You have to get to Guadalajara like five minutes ago!"

"Why?"

"Because I was to get into contact with you and make sure your son is safely delivered into your arms if I couldn't get into contact with her today."

Dom dropped the phone to the floor and sunk into a nearby chair. He felt like he was in another world. _Your son_, the words echoed in his head over and over. Mia lifted the phone and listened to whatever Leon was saying. She flashed him an incredulous look. He had a son. And his wife had just been taken by someone, taken somewhere, and he had no idea what the fuck to do.

XOXO

Guadalajara, Mexico

"Dom you're squeezing the life out of my hand." Dom glanced at his sister and then down at her red hand. He hadn't even realized he had grasped it. The plane was landing and in less than one hour he would be meeting his son face to face. Christian Vincent Toretto, his nine month old son. He looked over to Brian who was sleeping with Anthony propped up on his chest. The baby was dozing off into his own sleep but the picture made Dom's heart squeeze.

"I don't know how to feel," he admitted to Mia.

She gave him a small smile, "you're a parent now, and it's pretty intense."

"I need to find her." It was a statement of fact if Mia had ever heard one. Everything in her brother's body was telling him to find Letty come hell or high water. But at the same time everything had changed after Leon's phone call. There was a lot to take care of, and a lot for Leon to answer for.

The plane landed with no difficulties in the small airport. Dom drove them in silence to Leon's house. They parked in the back garage that still held the remade Camaro. Sadie ran out to greet them almost immediately. Mia smiled in welcome, knowing that this no nonsense woman would lay out all of the necessary details.

"He's gorgeous," Sadie cooed over Anthony as Brian held him up for inspection.

Mia smiled down at the little girl at Sadie's side, "Jasmine is that you? You're so big now!"

Dom gaze was riveted to the back door. Leon was walking toward him with his miniature replica in his arms. Dom felt the most peculiar feeling in his chest as everything inside of him focused on the fact that he had never loved as completely and as instantly as he was right at that moment.

"This is Christian," Sadie announced quietly. There was an apology in her big blue eyes.

His hands itched to hold his son but he knew that babies his age were sometimes weary. He was immediately proven wrong when Christian launched himself into his arms. He held his son to his heart and felt the overwhelming urge to cry. It wasn't something he had felt more than twice in his entire adult life. He had created life with the woman of his dreams and had promptly fucked everything up.

Dom held him tightly for just one moment longer before he looked to Mia. She nodded as she cried bittersweet tears. He gently deposited the baby into her arms and turned to Leon.

"Bring the babies inside," Dom told Mia and Sadie.

"Are you serious? So you can assault my husband," Sadie wondered, a wry note in her voice.

"Exactly," Dom replied.

Sadie shrugged when Leon urged her inside. She happily took Anthony into her arms and hustled Jasmine into the house with Mia and Christian. The door hadn't even shut completely when Dom punched Leon in the mouth. Just one hit and then he and Brian helped him to his feet.

"What the fuck is going on," Brian questioned Leon.

Leon rubbed his bloody lip for a long moment before he and Dom slapped hands in a real greeting.

"She just got into contact with me a week ago. You have to understand how crazy that was for me. You told me she was dead years ago and then suddenly she's in my doorway with a mini you."

"Did she give you anything? Tell you anything?"

Leon nodded, "I have everything in the garage. I didn't want to risk my family."

The drive to his garage was short and quiet as Leon relayed his story. Letty had shown up with Christian and told him the bare minimum. She had to pretend she was dead because she feared Braga would come after her. After she had the baby she had gotten involved in a heisting ring in Berlin. She didn't know who was after her but they were tenacious and had found her in a couple of different cities. She knew they were getting close and needed to know that the baby would be taken care of. She had taken care to make sure no one knew about Christian. He was to call her every Friday on a private cell phone that only he had the number to. If she didn't pick up he was to haul ass getting Christian and a box to Dom.

"What then," Dom asked.

Leon shook his head, "there were no directions after that."

Dom watched him pull out an old tin box. He handed the entire box to Dom. He held the box in his hands and closed his eyes. Not two weeks before his wife's hands had been exactly where his were.

"We'll meet you back at the house," Brian told him.

Dom nodded and waited until they left before he opened the box. He groaned out loud when the first thing he saw was a picture of her holding their newborn in her arms. She looked exhausted, her hair was wet with sweat and sticking to her face but she was smiling as she pointed one finger down at Christian as if saying, "look what I did!"

He flipped through the pictures alternating through so many emotions that he couldn't stand it. There were pictures of Christian awake, sleeping, and playing. There was one picture of Letty heavily pregnant with a socket wrench in one hand and her other hand on the bottom of her belly as if she could take some of the pressure of their baby. There were pictures of Letty staring off into her own thoughts and memories as she fed their newborn. Dom immediately felt a deep sense of jealousy toward whoever she had trusted enough to take the pictures. It should have been him. He should have been by her side through every step of it all, but he remembered her words from so long ago. She couldn't let anything jeopardize her pregnancy, and unfortunately she didn't trust him to keep her safe. No that wasn't right, she didn't trust him to stay.

Finally he opened a folded piece of paper. Her hand writing was as terrible as it had always been. It spelled out the contents of the box: Christian's birth certificate with him listed as the father and with her married name, some pictures, and the address of the garage owner who had protected her in Spain. The letter went on to say that she had no idea who was following her but she was fairly certain it wasn't her boss in Berlin because she planned to return and finish off her promised heists with him. She completed the letter telling him that when he got this to get his head out of his ass because "_this isn't about you and me anymore. This is about your son. Take care of him and I'll take care of me. Please do not leave him behind to try and save me. He needs you Dom, not Mia and not Leon. Please do right by him._" She didn't conclude it with any loving words but he felt them. She didn't accuse him of being the catalyst for all of this bullshit but he knew how deeply it upset her when he had left. But she did end the letter in the simplest way, telling him that there would always be love there: _Letty Toretto_.

XOXO

Dom watched his son sleep as he held him in his arms. He slept like Letty, always moving until he fell into deep sleep and then you couldn't wake him to save your life. He had woken up an hour ago and just seemed to need companionship. Even though it hadn't even been a full day Dom felt so in tune with his son that it was like he'd known him his entire short life.

"Hey," Mia knocked briefly before popping her head in.

"Come in," Dom motioned from his position on the guest bed.

Mia came in wearing her pajamas with Anthony to her shoulder. She sat down on the foot of the bed, "how are you two?"

"We're figuring it out," Dom replied.

"He has Letty's hair, all unkempt curls and waves," Mia pointed out.

"That was my hair back in the day," he corrected. He couldn't help but rub the head full of black silky hair. Christian sighed in his sleep and threw one arm up, his hand landing on Dom's chin.

Mia laughed, "it's been so long that I forgot you ever had hair."

"What did you think of the letter?"

She became somber as she looked at her nephew. Mia knew now what it meant to carry a child and deliver it, and to be a wife and parent. Letty had the strength to walk away from it all. She'd done what she had to do, hoping against hope that Dom would finally heed her words and do the right thing.

"I think she is deathly afraid that you'll leave Christian the way you left her. I think that scares her because she knows what it means to doubt your father's love. She wants you to be as constant as our Dad was."

Dom looked down at his son and knew with certainty that he would never leave him that way. Unfortunately he would have to leave him for a little bit because he just couldn't live his life without her. He had lived too long thinking she was dead, now that he knew she was alive he had to do everything he could to find her. He needed her more than he needed air to breathe.

"I have to find her Mia. For him and for me."

Mia nodded, there wasn't a soul in the world, Letty included, that could stop him from searching for her. And it was for the best reason of them all; he just loved her that much.

"You should start in Spain," Mia replied. She was giving her blessing, promising to help care for his son while he did what had to be done.

XOXO

Madrid, Spain

Brian and Dom let themselves into the chalet that Letty had bought years ago. There was a light dust covering everything. Dom took it all in, he smiled at the leather chair which was very much Letty's style. They walked through the sitting room and the kitchen. Dom stopped and opened multiple cabinets exposing rounds of ammo. She hadn't felt safe here either. Finally they opened the bedroom door. Dom sucked in a breath as he looked at the unmade bed, a sleep shirt tossed carelessly on the pillows, a bassinet by the bed, close enough for her to hold Christian without getting out of bed. He went to her closet as Brian went through the dresser. He flipped though the array of white and black tees. A couple of the wife beaters were stretched to their limit, obviously favorites worn during her pregnancy. They heard the door open although it was quiet.

Brian signaled Dom to get behind the door as he pulled out his hand gun. The bedroom door burst open and Dom immediately wrapped his arms around the neck of the short man who had just invaded his wife's space.

"Who are you," Dom demanded.

"Andre," the man squeaked out.

Dom released him, recognizing his name from Letty's letter. The older man turned and gave Dom a once over, "you were the one she loved so much?"

"Where is she," Dom asked.

"I don't know. But I'm close to finding out," Andre admitted.

"Who are you," Brian asked the question this time.

The man sighed, obviously put out as he opened a pocket flask and took a sip of his whiskey. "I was a special agent investigator for the Spanish Intel for years before I was forced to retire. They said I drink too much. I think that is patently bullshit."

Dom and Brian shared a glance as Andre took another long sip from his flask. Dom finally revealed what they knew of what had happened. Andre was thoughtful as he paced with his flask in hand. Finally he turned to them, "have you received any phone calls from the agent?"

"Hobbs? No, if he had her he wouldn't be able to wait five minutes to get the message to me however he could!" Dom argued.

"If she wasn't cooperating, which is a distinct possibility with that stubborn girl, then he might not be as willing to share the news," Andre argued.

Brian nodded, "he'll need to pull you out in the open. He can't risk getting shot down the way he did in Rio when he tried to confront us at the races. Not with Letty there because if you get her and have the chance to disappear he knows you'll take it."

"I respect him but I will fuck his shit up again if he touched her," Dom mentioned.

"I think that's understood," Brian replied.

"She was pulling heists for Luka Fischer, anticipating that after four or five heists she'd have enough money to coast out the next few years. He is a crazy man but even he knows when his employees are worth keeping around. She brought in good money," Andre's mind was working after the third or fourth sip from the flask. He continued to pace as he thought of the probability of had happened. "I sent her to Panama, but she had to move a few times because she felt she was in danger. But she knew she had to complete the heists or Fischer would be on her ass too. I think she had to go back to Berlin and that's where it happened."

Dom and Brian shared a long look. Going to Berlin, where there were too many American Feds for comfort, was going to be dicey. They would have to lay low, and under no circumstances could they afford a high profile shoot out, high speed chase, or steal millions of a corrupt cartel's dirty money. Brian grinned after a moment, they had better odds to get into trouble than actually had to find Letty. And since they damn sure weren't coming home without her he would just have to make his peace with tearing up Berlin and evading his old colleagues.

XOXO

Berlin, Germany

Letty groaned as she woke up. Her head felt like a million tiny monkeys were playing the symbols while jumping up and down. She opened her eyes cautiously and almost groaned again when she realized that she was well and truly fucked.

She was tied to a chair, her arms felt numb and she had to pee something fierce! The room had only one light and she was pulled up to a chair.

"Finally opened your eyes," Hobbs walked in front of her and threw a file down on the table.

Letty arched one eyebrow, this was just way too Law and Order: SVU, "you ever seen the music video for 'Gangster's Paradise'? Because all you're missing is a plaid shirt and some crazy braids."

"Is this a joke," Hobbs asked.

"Depends on what you think will actually happen. I get the feeling that it will end up being a joke but I'll reserve final judgment," she replied.

Hobbs opened the final and pushed it forward until Letty could see that it was a detailed report about Dom. She glanced down at it and then looked back at Hobbs, "if you think that you're going to tell me something I don't know or that will suddenly get me on your team then you're wrong. But I know you feel like you have to try, so have at it!"

"I'm the collector," he told her, "the United States government gives me a target and I make good. Always."

"With the exception of Dominic Toretto?"

"With that one exception," he agreed. "It was the U.S. government's belief that you were killed during an undercover investigation. So you may understand why it is confusing that suddenly your finger prints are on a military convey that had weapons stolen and then later found on the black market."

She shrugged nonchalantly, "I guess that would be confusing."

"Where have you been," he asked.

"I haven't been with Dom if that's what you're asking."

Hobbs kept eye contact with her, something most men couldn't do. Letty found it oddly reminiscent of Dom. "Ms Ortiz, the government has it on good authority that now that you are publically alive again Dominic Toretto will try to get into contact with you."

"Why would he do that? He's moved on," she was certain that she didn't betray any emotion while she spoke those words.

"Let's not pretend that he won't drop Elena the moment he knows you're alive. You were the catalyst for getting Braga after all. Men like Toretto don't bring down entire empires without due cause."

"It sounds like you want to have a bromance with him," Letty mentioned.

"Where have you been," he asked again.

She shrugged, "I don't have anything else to say to you."

"Then you enjoy this box. It'll be your home until you're ready to talk again." With a grin that could have been charming if he wasn't being a dick he walked out of the room.

Letty watched him walk away and wanted nothing more than to shoot him once or twice. Not kill shots, just one in the knee cap and the other in a hand or other miscellaneous body part. A random agent untied her hands and left. She heard a resounding click alerting her to the fact that she was going nowhere quickly. They had left a cup of water and a bucket in the corner of the room. She rose on unsteady legs and spent every moment that she squatted over that bucket cursing Dom.


	18. September 1, 2011 PART I

September 1, 2011

Berlin, Germany

Poison. That's what their love was. It was the only reason why she was squatting behind a bush in the inky darkness of a billionaire's compound at midnight with an automatic rifle locked and ready at her shoulder. She ignored the tightness in her belly that told her that she wasn't going to walk out of this compound intact, the way she had walked in. She had begun to notice over time that whenever shit was about to get serious, whenever she literally came within touching distance of death, the world was brighter. Everything was just real. The pine trees smelled so intense that she had to take short, puffy breaths. The darkness seemed to blanket her, she could feel it.

It was doomed from the start. The mission. Their lives. One half breed Italian-Dominican man and one Mexican-Puerto Rican woman weren't equipped to deal with happily ever after anyway. But that thought didn't stop her from wishing it were different. She could imagine their lives from beginning to end without an alcoholic dad, premature parental deaths, poverty, or the crushing regrets. She had never been the kind of woman who had regretted the past but sitting in the wet grass, knowing she was probably never going to see the light of day again, changed her. She blinked back the uncharacteristic wetness in her eyes, and sadness in her heart, to focus on her objective. Alive or dead, she would complete this mission.

"Ride or die," she whispered into the communication link that stretched from her left ear to the corner of her mouth.

Letty sensed his seriousness when Dom's rough voice whispered through the communication link, "ride or die, baby."

XXXXX

November 2010

Berlin, Germany

Letty's eyes snapped open with the banging of the metal door against the wall. She rolled those brown eyes almost immediately when she released it was Sergeant Stick-Up-His-Ass.

Luke Hobbs sat down pensively at the table that he had flipped over in a rage two days earlier. Letty rolled to her side on the floor, where she had been sleeping for almost a month. She propped her head up with a fist and cocked an eyebrow at Hobbs, "feeling better after your tantrum?"

"Let's talk about your bad habits before we talk about mine," he suggested.

"Would those habits include heisting cars, convoys, or guns? Because I feel like we've all ready covered that ground."

"Yes, all very illegal activity. But I was thinking about more personal habits," he replied.

Letty was intrigued, "yeah, Dom and I probably broke a few more laws with some of the things we've done."

"Sodomy and public indecency aside," he pushed a file across the table, "I was still thinking of something else."

She was silent as she rose and looked down at the pictures. Against her own will she felt her cheeks turn bright red in embarrassment. She didn't give a fuck how or who had been filming her but she was furious. The pictures showed her expressing her milk. Without Christian around to nurse the milk engorged her breasts to the point of agony, making it difficult to move her arms or to put any pressure on her chest. Expressing the milk hurt but not as much it hurt to let them swell.

"If that's what gets you off then who am I to judge," Hobbs' sarcastic comment drew her gaze up from the pictures.

"What is it that you think you've accomplished Hobbs," she asked.

He leaned forward across the desk, all dominance and arrogance, "you have something to lose Letty, and now we both know it."

"You're wrong," she corrected gently, "now Dom has something to lose. Something more valuable than my life. Something he has to protect fiercely. God knows I'm a loose canon, even if we had been together we still probably would have gotten into trouble. That baby changed everything Hobbs. If you don't believe that then you don't know nearly as much as you think you do."

Luke frowned and Letty finally sat down, "and now that you know my deep dark secret do you mind supplying me with a breast pump so I don't have to do that over that disgusting bucket anymore. Dying of an infection from that particular area of my body is not my idea of a good time."

"Why are you protecting him Letty? You're here in this hellhole for him. You'll probably go to prison for life for him. Why?"

It was the first time that he had actually spoken like Dom was more than a case. Letty considered his face, realizing that he looked as exhausted as she felt. She doubted he knew how much he was letting her know with his nonverbal postures.

"He's my heart. And now he protects a baby that is my soul. I could die today knowing that they would be safe forever."

"That's really fucking stupid Letty," he cursed at her; using her nickname again as if they were actually friends.

She smiled at him then, a real smile, "I'm stubborn as shit, loyal as hell, and most likely the dumbest woman you've ever met. I've been with that man for more than half of my life."

"He'll look for you. He won't be able to help himself," Hobbs had studied Dominic Toretto until he could be called an expert on the man.

Letty looked up at him sadly, realizing that the man in front of her was either going to kill Dom or be killed by him, one way or another. Neither of the men knew how to stop or when to quit. Maybe they would have been friends in another world. She didn't respond but inside she agreed with his comment. And what was fucked up was as pissed as she was that he would leave Christian with Mia instead of staying to protect him, she was exhilarated. They would find each other again because that's what they did.

But on the outside she sat stoic and responded with a crisp, "we'll see."

XXXXX

December 2010

Palma Soriano, Cuba

Christmas day dawned so beautiful that it hurt. The sky glowed a stunning orange as the night sky gave way for the brightness of the winter sun. The breeze that wafted through Dom's window was balmy and peaceful.

Dom sat up slowly. He hadn't slept at all for what seemed like forever. He and Brian spent the last weeks in Berlin. Even with Andre they still had trouble finding out information. Dom wasn't any closer to finding Letty than he had been months earlier. Which just royally pissed him off! He huffed to himself and rose to look out the window.

"Where are you Let," he questioned the horizon. The sound of rustling sheets drew Dom's attention to the crib that now occupied a complete section of his room. Christian stared up at him with clear eyes, obviously he had been awake for sometime and had somehow occupied himself with his own thoughts.

"What have you been thinking of all this time," Christian's instant response to the question was to smile at his father lift his arms with demand. Dom lifted him and, as usual these days, felt his heart expand with the overabundance of love that he hadn't known was inside of him and the instant fear that anything bad could ever happen to the life that he and Letty had created.

As Christian became more used to Dom he felt the answering parental response to him. He knew what each of his cries meant, knew his schedule better than he knew the tool organization in his shop, and sometimes Christian just couldn't be calmed without him. Dom wanted to show Letty how far he had come, what a good dad he was, and how willing he was to completely dedicate himself to being by her side for the rest of their lives.

"Dom," Mia opened the door slightly and then smiled when she saw her nephew was all ready awake. She entered slowly, keeping the door closed behind her.

"Merry Christmas," Dom greeted her after rolling his eyes at how strange his sister was.

"Not yet," she disagreed although she smiled heartily at Christian.

"I didn't buy you that disgustingly expensive purse you wanted so if that's what you're waiting on for it to be a Merry Christmas then you'll have to hope Brian is a bigger pushover than I imagined."

Mia smiled hugely, "there is only one person missing that would make this Christmas, this whole life, better than I could have ever envisioned it."

"Mia, you know I'm trying. As soon as I can I'm going back to Germany and I will find her."

"I know," Mia agreed, "and to help you with that, because you've always worked best as the leader of a team, I've called in some backups."

Mia opened his door wide and Dom couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as he took in the faces of his Brazil "A-team" all crowded in the hallway of Mia's villa.

"This is your first Christmas with Christian and your last Christmas without your whole family," Han announced.

Upon hearing his name Christian clapped his hands and the hallway erupted in laughter. Dom smiled at his son and for the first time in a long time he felt genuine hope that he was actually going to have the chance to repair his fractured marriage. Han's easy confidence was infectious and soon everyone was making statements of certainty.

"So what's the plan," Gisele, always one to jump right to the heart of the matter, asked the question.

"Find out what's going on in Berlin," Brian replied immediately.

"That should be easy enough," Roman decided.

Brian and Dom shared a look of equal disbelief. Roman promptly grinned, "ya'll don't believe me! I got some hot coulda-been-baby-mama-drama-if-I-wasn't-a-full-practice-pimp, living in Berlin. You feel me? She's into some deep shit there."

"What kind of deep shit," Brian asked.

Roman shook his head, his memories obviously crowding his mind, "the shit you don't want to become involved with unless you're desperate. And even then you know you probably won't walk outta that shit alive."

That sounded exactly like the kind of shit that Letty would have gotten herself mixed up into. Dom nodded decisively, "call her."

****XXXXX

**AN:**

**To everyone who ever reviewed, thank you. This last year will be done in multiple parts. If it all turns into a confusing mess then please let me know. **


	19. September 1, 2011 PART II

**September 1, 2011 **

**Berlin, Germany **

Letty stood in the dark and dank bathroom in the hole-in-the-wall motel in the heart of the ghetto. She tried not to think of what was about to happen. Yet her thoughts continued to go over what was supposed to happen, step by step. This wasn't just a mission. This was the most important mission that she had ever been a part of. It wasn't for money. It wasn't for pride. It was for the life that she had always needed, even if there had been times when she hadn't wanted it. This was for the man she just could not live without. It was for the baby boy hidden so deeply with his Aunt that even she wasn't quite sure where they were at the moment.

She strapped her old knife sheath high up on her left thigh. The weight was familiar and comforting. The plan was for her to stay far enough away from the enemy to be able to shoot but it was an exercise in stupidity not to be ready for anything. As she bent over her gold cross tapped against her chin. A gentle reminder that everything in this life had been riding on her faith and on one man, and that neither would leave her now.

"I never could control myself when I saw that thigh holster." Dom's deep voice reverberated through the room and through her. She looked up and into his familiar eyes and was surprised all over again by how much love she saw in them. This Dom, the Dom who had lived a life believing her dead, didn't hold back anything. There was no silence that stretched as they tried to assess what the other was thinking or feeling. They were just too damn old and had been too broken for too long to allow that bullshit. This was it. It was clear that this time around they weren't playing games. They were going to live or die by the other's actions and that was just fine, as long as they were together.

**January 1, 2011 **

**Berlin, Germany **

Dom stood over the long table in the main room in the underground apartment that his group had bought. It was deep enough underground that most of their activity couldn't be tracked. Dom himself never would have thought of it but Andre, in a drunken moment of clarity, had suggested it. The Spanish intel may not have found use in the old man's drinking habits but if all he needed was a good bottle of whiskey to think of these ideas then Dom didn't mind supplying.

Tej clicked away on his computer and began talking as if multi-tasking was his baseline, "well Roman, your little piece of ass sure gave us some good info. And may I just say I don't know what that fine ass woman ever saw in your ugly ass."

Roman stood up, ready to do battle over the unwarranted comment but Dom held up a hand, "what's the good word Tej?"

"Luke Hobbs has been going between Berlin, Vienna, and Oslo for months. Word is that his reputation at the Bureau is falling apart since he lost tabs on you. Yours has been the only case he's had. At least the only one on the record."

"I wouldn't have come anywhere near Europe, he had to have known that," Dom commented.

"Exactly," Brian chimed in, the wheels in his mind obviously spinning, "so what's he doing here if you would never show up here?"

"He's hiding something here, maybe in all three locations," Giselle sat back and began to polish her favorite Smith &Wesson Model 500. She propped her feet up on the table, "if he were smart he would anticipate that you would get as far as he did in searching for Letty. If he found her then he would also be smart to mix up the locations he kept her."

"Are we so sure that Hobbs has her," Roman questioned.

"Well Lukas had no reason to get rid of Letty given the quality of the work she was doing," Tej remarked.

"Unless he was pissed about all the attention she suddenly got after her prints were found," Brian added.

"No, a man of his caliber wouldn't be too worried about that," Andre burped and excused himself to Giselle. He rose and began to pace, "he knows that he's a walking target. Any intel in any country would be lucky to be the one to catch him. He's an international criminal in his own right."

"So what do we do then," Roman asked, exasperated.

Dom smiled pointedly at Han and Giselle, "we get our own intel."

Giselle slid her feet off of the table and grinned at Han and Dom, "I love stealth missions."

"Then you're gonna love this one. Tej you work on finding out which base he's in now and where the others are located."

2222

Han stood standing against guard ropes at Rostock looking out to the Baltic Sea. It was magnificent. It reminded him that there was so much more to explore in the vast world. What was troubling to him still was that he just couldn't picture seeing it without Giselle by his side. Even after months and years side by side he couldn't believe how well she had penetrated his guards. He was legitimately in love with her and he had told himself that would never happen. But now here he was fingering a vintage pink gold ring with a huge diamond in his pocket. Suddenly he removed his hand and shoved his hand into his potato chip bag, berating himself, "fuck me."

"Would love to babe but I'm busy at the moment," Giselle's voice through the small transmitter in his left ear made him smile despite himself.

About 50 feet below him she was exploring the underground caverns of the old port city. It was low tide which gave her exactly 45 more minutes to find the bunker where Hobb's base was said to be or to get the hell out before she drowned. Han's job was to watch for movement and if necessary to get them out of there in his very sexy Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't looking for a reason to gun the engine.

Giselle scaled down another empty hole, essentially the old septic system of Germany, thankfully not used for over a century. According to Tej's information she should only have about 10 more feet to scale and then she should be above a bunker created by good old Hitler himself and used by the Soviets more than once during the Cold War. She pulled up the diagram again on her smart watch, she thought the world love the technology when it finally went public. With a nod to herself she whispered once more, "I should be above the bunker in another 2 minutes."

"Remember this is just to plant bugs, this is not a recon mission," Han reminded her. Giselle propelled herself down until she was an inch above the steel bunker and then dropped so slowly and gingerly that her boots didn't make a sound. There would be vents open now, introducing fresh air during low tide and then sealing airtight during high tide. Gently she went to her belly and peered in through a corner. She clearly saw a small card table, a bucket in the corner, and a ratty cot to one side. It certainly looked like a prison. Without preamble she placed the ladybug sized bug on the side of the vent that would close into the bunker.

"Mission accomplished," Giselle whispered.

"Good. Now get the hell out of there and into my car," Han replied. Giselle smiled to herself and then began her ascent back to the light.

2222

Before Han and Giselle even entered the main room they felt the tension leaking from it. Everyone was standing around the television that showed the live feed from the bug Giselle had planted. The room that Giselle had just seen not three hours before, that had been dirty but certainly not grotesque, was covered in blood.

**I've been gone for awhile. But now I'm back. I want to finish this story. This chapter was just to get me back into the game. I hope there is still an audience. **


	20. September 1, 2011 PART III

**September 1, 2011**

**Berlin, Germany**

As Letty stood up to her full height she watched him walk toward her. How many times had she dreamt of this? Her standing bereft and then him walking toward her with the rest of their life on a silver platter? He placed his hand on her left shoulder, pulling her bra strap to the side so he could kiss the thin and sensitive skin at the base of her neck where her skin graft was. She tossed her head to the side, giving him greater access, opening herself up completely to him.

"When this shit is done," he began but she cut him off with a genuine chuckle. She turned to look him in the eyes with a sweetly sad smile, "every time you promise me a beach after we complete a mission it goes to hell."

"Actually," he corrected her gently, his fingers grazing her barely covered breast, "I was going to say that when this shit is done we're going to go get the rest of our family and bring them home to LA. We're going to be the most boring family in the history of the world. We're going to fix cars and race cars and make love and make more babies and live a real life."

She snuggled into him, savoring the scent that had never left her nose despite their distance, and smiled, "that sounds like the best plan you've ever had."

**March 1, 2011**

**Oslo, Norway**

Dom stood rigid. His back was straight, his knees locked, and his hands firmly bunched in the pockets of his leather jacket. He knew that he was putting himself in one hell of a bad position but it would be worth it to get the answers he needed. The discovery of one of Hobb's bunkers covered in blood a few weeks before meant that someone had been slaughtered in the few hours after the bug placement. The team had thought that it was a sure sign Letty was a goner. Dom wasn't so sure. In the few weeks since another convoy had gone missing and the Feds had flooded Berlin in a new torrent. But it was the continuing feed that had gone through the bug that had captured the information Dom and the team had needed to know it wasn't a lost cause.

Dom had been visiting Mia and the babies with Brian when Tej had called them and sent the information. The video showed two men, obviously soldiers, cleaning the bunker and running their mouths.

"I don't know how this happened. How many people know about this place," the blond soldier asked his red headed comrade.

"It's top level shit man. Hobbs' has the clearance to do whatever it takes to capture this Lukas guy. That was what we were supposed to be doing in this cold hellhole. I don't know why that little Latina bitch captured his attention."

The blond soldier shrugged, "thank God we got that girl out of here before Lukas' team got here. She probably would have been toast like Macintyre."

That short conversation had revived Dom and the team had promptly been back in business. But now they were torn: Oslo or Vienna? That was where Andre came in. Just because he wasn't an active agent didn't mean he didn't have connections. Luckily a few of them had owed him a favor. Vienna was a bust, too close to Berlin, too well connected after World War 2. Oslo was where Hobbs would be regrouping. But before Dom could plan to get the team there something very unexpected happened. He received a phone call from one Agent Hobbs requesting his presence.

And so here Dom was. Standing at the outskirts of the Akerselva river just on the edge of Oslo. Seemingly unguarded and unarmed, waiting to meet with his greatest nemesis.

"You can't know how often I have thought about finally getting a piece of you Toretto," Dom turned around and faced Hobbs in the dimly lit ship graveyard.

"You're the first man to ever tell me that," Dom replied casually.

Hobbs stood in his soldier gear, flexing his fists, obviously restraining himself from starting the fight that he so badly wanted. He took a breath and began, "there is something greater than the Bureau's desire to capture you though Toretto."

"Lukas," Dom guessed. He did not doubt that a sniper had him in his sights at the moment. Just waiting for him to lose his composure. But he wouldn't, not with his life with Letty on the line.

"He's going for international intel. The type of intel that is worth billions of dollars. The type of intel that would have cartels in South America, terrorists in the Middle East, and all the communists in between controlling every nation in the UN within weeks."

Dom's eyebrows rose, just what kind of shit had Letty gotten herself into. He couldn't imagine her being okay with that plan. But knowing Letty she hadn't felt she had a choice and would have tried to make it right to the detriment of herself.

"So I've found myself in the unfortunate situation of having to offer you something you want in return for the help of you and your team."

"That had to have hurt," Dom mentioned, promising nothing. He looked around, "you have to have at least five guys aiming for me right this second. All highly trained and ready to die for the cause. Why me? Why my team?"

"Because you're a good criminal. Because Letty will work best with you."

At the mention of her nickname, so casually spoken, Dom stiffened, "where is she?"

"Up until a few weeks ago she was safely in a bunker in Berlin. But you know that all ready don't you. She was removed from the Berlin bunker about 12 hours prior to the break in. We chose Vienna to stash her. It was a stupid move, prompted more by convenience than good intel. Lukas got her."

"What the fuck do you mean Lukas got her," Dom's temper, so tightly reined, began to push through. He took a step toward Hobbs and a red dot appeared over his heart.

"I'm not overly fond of the way it turned out either," Hobbs replied.

"You stalked my wife. Kidnapped my wife. Made my wife your prisoner to get to me. And then you allowed some sociopath to kidnap her. You are really fucking bad at your job," Dom raged, he turned abruptly and began speed walking toward his car, hidden in the shadows. He couldn't afford to snuff the asshole and get shot over it.

"Wife," the word was a question.

Dom turned to him, "yeah, my wife. I traded vows with her. I've spent my whole life fucking up hers. I tried to make it right."

As Dom began walking away again Hobbs asked one more question, "don't you want to know what the U.S. government is willing to give you?"

"If you don't have my wife then I need to find where Lukas has her. I don't really give a damn what you're offering me," Dom replied.

He heard Hobbs speed walking behind him and despite himself listened as he began to talk again, "if you help bring in Lukas Fischer the U.S. government is willing to give you and your whole team pardons. Including Letty. Think about it Dom. You'd be a free man in America again. You could run a garage again. Race illegally again. Take your son to the park."

At the mention of Christian Dom swung around and stared into Hobbs' eyes. He didn't dare speak or move for fear that he would kill the man. To even speak about his son pushed him to the dark place he hadn't known since nearly beating a man to death, since ramming his car into a man.

"Letty said that your son meant more than her life. Knowing your stubborn ass wife she'll probably do something incredibly stupid and dangerous to keep danger away from you and your family. Something that will get her and billions of other people on the planet killed. Help me to help you and for all intents and purposes no matter how much I hate it, you win."

**April 1, 2011**

**Vienna, Austria**

If Hobbs' intel was correct then the next convoy on the list was due to be heisted in the next 24 hours. The rendezvous point was just outside of the Hotel Imperial Vienna, a building that had once served as a castle and stood as the epicenter of historical Vienna. Which meant it was busy. Very, very, busy. The absolute perfect place to hold up a convoy and sneak out a bit of priceless information. It might even be the perfect place to steamroll over everyone and blatantly steal a bit of priceless information. That was the problem, Dom thought as he paced in front of his team, he just didn't know which approach Lukas was going to take. Despite studying the man the way he imagined Hobbs had studied him.

"We've done all we can at this point," Giselle was the only brave enough to break Dom's angry concentration. Per her usual she fiddled with her favorite knife before beginning to clean her nails with it, "if it's a stealthy drive by, we'll get a tracker on him and tail him. If it's a blow out we full on follow him and take the heat. Either way Letty's going to see one of us. She'll know something is up. We can only hope that Lukas thinks Hobbs kidnapped her to get to him and not to get to you."

"Because if he knows who and what you are to her, he'll have studied you," Hobbs added.

Dom nodded letting them know he had heard them. This was fucked. Andre had arrived earlier and confirmed what Dom had hoped wasn't the case. Letty had agreed in the beginning of their arrangement to finish these heists. If she tried to leave it was definitely going to be a kill or be killed situation. He was getting really fucking tired of his wife ending up in those situations.

Brian walked into the room grinning, his phone to his ear. Dom stared at him, silently asking just what the hell was making him so damn happy. Brian wasted no time plugging his phone into the jack in the massive television. He spoke to Mia through the speaker phone, "go ahead babe, they can hear you."

"Hey guys. We miss you! I'm going to make a feast when you all get back here. But in the mean time this is a reminder of what you're doing there," Mia's voice was sweet and made Dom smile despite himself.

A video of Christian toddling around the beach appeared, he was laughing so hard that his big baby stomach was vibrating. Dom couldn't tear his eyes away.

"Can you wave hi to your Daddy and Uncle Brian," Mia's voice was imploring as she giggled at his antics.

Christian turned to her and as clear as day said, "hi Dada!"

Dom's eyes widened. The last time he had seen Christian he was still babbling barely coherent words. The typical random words would be crystal clear: no, ball, baba. But he hadn't been so particular and clear before. Dom felt himself swell with pride. Christian ran off and decimated a sand castle and then Anthony's blond head popped up and he heard the delight in Mia's voice as she shouted encouragement when Anthony took his first steps right there on the beach.

The video cut off and Brian turned, grinning at his makeshift family, "my kid is walking."

Everyone rose, excited, chattering all at once. Dom smacked Brian on the back, a smile stretching his tense features. Giselle was restarting the video and cooing over it, a complete switch from her normal badass persona. Roman was telling Brian to pay up because he knew Mia's good genes would have that boy walking before he was one year old. Tej watched the video with Giselle and laughed when she mentioned how Christian was Dom's replica except he had hair. Han begrudgingly paid up on the bet which surprised Brian because he hadn't know he'd put in any odds. The whole scene was exactly what the team had needed.

Dom turned, still grinning ear to ear, and found Hobbs watching them curiously. Dom walked over to him and leaned against the same wall, watching his family interact. They were meant to be in each other's lives, it was so obvious that the reason they were such a good team was because it wasn't just one it was all for one and one for all.

"Whatever you've read about me doesn't translate into real life. This is real life Hobbs. These people risking themselves time and time again for my dream because we're family. Not everything is black and white. I learned that the hard way."

Dom rejoined his family and left Hobbs to figure out what it all meant.

**April 2, 2011**

Tej sat in the presidential suite in the hotel using the 360 degree open windows to watch the traffic with Hobbs' soldiers. He had made up his work station, a series of computers with video feed from every member and car. He'd equipped each member with ear pieces so they would be in contact at all times. It was go time, and there wasn't a time that he shined more than when he was doing this, keeping the team in contact so they could whoop some ass.

"What are we looking for," one of the soldiers asked him.

"Either a few cars driving way to fast from different directions toward us or an explosion," Tej replied as he typed on his computer.

The soldiers briefly glanced at one another, "which do we prefer?"

Tej laughed to himself, "definitely the fast cars."

"Why?"

"You've never seen Dom or Brian race have you," he chuckled again. These G.I. Joes had no idea.

"Well I guess it's a moot point."

"Why's that," Tej asked.

"Because there was just an explosion," Tej ran to the window, his eyes widening in surprise. They were early. He ran back to the computer, pushing on the receiver he yelled, "it's go time! Explosion to the Southwest and three black cars racing Northwest, convoy is due to head North in 2 minutes."

There was a pause as Tej watched via the videos everyone spring into action. Dom slid into second easily and out into traffic, barely missing a taxi, "ride or die."

3333

The convoy sped along as fast as it could in the late night traffic. This part of Vienna was a nightmare for a huge, slow moving convoy. An easy target that was necessary even as it was a hindrance. The package wasn't huge but required multiple soldiers to guard it and ensure its safety. The soldier driving the convoy noted the two black BMWs tailing it and managed to get around the traffic by getting on the sidewalk, making pedestrians scatter left and right. He beeped his horn, hoping not to kill any slow moving Grannies in the process. There was a huge explosion in front of him. He turned abruptly and drove the convoy deep into a park, avoiding trees by luck. He had passed the rendezvous point by order of his superior and was just trying to get onto the open highway where he would get more support. What he hadn't expected was the third BMW pulling in front of him, his foot slammed on the brake and the heavy convoy's back flew up at the sudden change causing the whole vehicle to fall to its side.

The soldier watched with blurry vision as a tall, lithely muscled man swaggered toward the convoy. The last thing he was saw was the man aim his hand gun at him and then there was darkness.

Lukas Fischer watched his two large, ex-British soldiers cut and rip open the back of the convoy. Hobbs had tried to destroy this mission, to stop him. Not knowing that Lukas didn't fail. Not when it came to this kind of money.

Expecting to see a few dead, or dazed, soldiers he was surprised when a bald black man popped up, ripping off a helmet and padding. The bald man smiled at their surprised faces, "surprise, motherfuckers," and began to shoot at them.

Lukas and his soldiers ran, finally hiding behind their BMWs. From the front bullets sprayed toward the black man. Sensing that it was his recently retrieved partner Lukas began to shoot too. Then out of nowhere two nondescript cars pulled up and now everyone was shooting. Lukas had expected resistance. But this wasn't Hobbs M.O., he was very confused about who these people were. Were they trying to get the package too?

One of Lukas' soldiers kicked the black man in the stomach, making him double over in sudden pain. He got the package, barely larger than a watch box, and returned to Lukas under fire. As he hid with Lukas behind his car his arm began to bleed, he'd been hit. Lukas wanted to get the hell out of there but didn't think he could under this pressure. He had less than two minutes to get out before Hobbs rolled onto the scene himself. He needed to nip this is the bud.

Lukas signaled for the shooting to stop, still behind his car he called out, "what do you want?"

"The woman," was the reply.

Lukas grinned to himself. Was this really all about his precision driver? Had Hobbs fallen in love with her? Some men were complete fucking idiots.

He rose, putting himself in the line of fire, but knowing that he had the upper hand. He motioned his front driver out from behind the black door where she had been shooting. Letty didn't look overly concerned as she watched the bald black man with intensity, her back straight, ready for a fight. She obviously didn't know him and just as obviously wasn't concerned by the thought of him returning her into Hobbs' custody.

"Take her," he replied. Confident that he could get her back before the next mission. But his eyes narrowed as the black man snatched her and threw her into the back of an American muscle car that had just sped to the scene. Just as quickly the car sped away. He made note of the black man, and the tall gorgeous woman who had been shooting from another car, and the pretty boy blond. He would kill them all before this was said and done. Motioning for his injured soldier to drive Letty's car, they got out of the line of fire before Hobbs could show up.

**I'm sorry, but I've never been a particularly good action writer. Maybe that's what has taken me so long. So go easy on me :)**


	21. September 1, 2011 PART IV

**April 2, 2011**

**Vienna, Austria**

Letty sat up slowly, her hand caressing the leather covering the backseat. It was expensive. The purr of the car was a surprise. You didn't normally hear the sound of a V12 in the European streets. But it was the smell, purely and simply her husband's, that made her look up. They made eye contact through the rearview mirror. She didn't smile, neither did he.

"You've just declared war on one of the most formidable men I've ever met," she told him.

His eyes closed briefly as he savored the sound of her voice. His temperature rose, his blood rushed to his cock, and his heart began to pound furiously. He drove through the streets quickly, skirting traffic, speeding excessively. He had to get them somewhere where they could be alone and safe for at least 24 hours. He tossed his phone back to her, the video of Anthony and Christian on the screen.

Letty pushed play and felt her throat constrict as she watched her son, not even walking even she'd last held him, now talking clearly. And Mia had a baby boy, a little cousin who was being raised side by side with Christian. Her heart hammered and her eyes filled. She didn't cry but she felt the stress of everything she had been through being released as she now knew that it had kept her son safe and happy. He was with his aunt. The only other person Letty trusted one hundred percent with him aside from herself and Dom, who would love him unconditionally if anything happened to them. And then that quickly she was so fucking mad that she could barely breathe.

"Let me out," she whispered the words.

Dom's eyes caught hers in the rearview mirror again, "what?"

"Stop the car and let me out," she repeated.

"Letty," he shoved his foot on the brake as she began to open the door. He pulled the car behind some trees beside one of the long tunnels and turned off the lights. He definitely hadn't gotten them as far away as he would have liked them to be. But she had looked like she was going to jump out if he didn't do as she said.

When he turned the ignition off and looked back she had the door open, one foot on the ground outside. She was looking outside, refusing to make eye contact now. He felt his blood boiling, "so what are you going to do?"

"I want to get the fuck out of this car and walk away from you as cavalierly as you always leave me," she replied, her voice soft but unmistakably pissed off.

Dom shoved against the wheel, angry with her and angry with himself, "it has never been as easy as you've always thought it was. But either way, I was wrong. Okay? I was wrong to leave you every time, most especially in the Dominican."

Letty looked up in surprise, had she just heard a legitimate apology from Dominic Toretto? He was studying her through the mirror, his face was tense, his eyes were watchful but also completely full of love.

"When I decided to become a dead woman I knew it would kill you to think I was dead. I don't regret my decisions but I do regret you hurting like that. I regret you not being there when Christian was born and his first few months. I'm sorry."

"So now what," he asked. In his own stupidity he thought that none of the old bullshit would matter once he had her. But how could it not? There were years of bereft, anger fueled, pain between them. There were also countless years of unending love and one handsome baby boy between them. So how would they get to a point, in the middle of all of the current bullshit, where none of it mattered?

"Now you fill me in on what your plan is to stop Lukas from killing us; which should also include how to stop him from attempting to destroy the free world for a few billion dollars, and introduce me to the team that you've pulled together."

4444

The new base was in the basement of the Historic Centre of Vienna in Michaelerplatz; a planned change to avoid being spotted in until they were ready to move back to Berlin where the final convoy with the final package had to go. Although Dom didn't know what he had expected when he finally got Letty back he knew that it hadn't included walking into a room full of people within hours.

As they walked through the darkened basement corridors they stood apart. Never had there seemed to be such a distance between them. He had never felt closer to her yet so far away. She held herself aloof. Anger and sadness emanated off of her. But it didn't detract from how beautiful she was. Her hair was in waves and curls down her back and her face was as perfect as ever. She walked with purpose in her black skinny jeans and fitted black leather jacket covering her silver slinky tank. Just the slip of cleavage with the gleam of her gold cross nestled between her breasts had him hard all over again. Despite Elena's beauty he had never responded to her the way he had always responded to his wife.

Finally they made it to the old wooden door. Dom pushed it open allowing her to enter first. Immediately her right hand shot out and was pushing on his chest as she aimed her gun at Hobbs standing across the room.

"Nice to see you again too Letty," Hobbs told her, a patronizing smile on his face.

"You raise your weapon in my husband's direction and I'll take you out," she replied quietly, serious as a heart attack.

Dom took her right hand and kissed it briefly before entering the room, "we're all on the same team at the moment."

She turned incredulous eyes in his direction, "since when?"

"Since stopping Lukas became more important to the U.S. government then us," Dom replied.

Letty took her time lowering her weapon and slipping it in the back of her pants. If Dom was saying that they were cool then she wouldn't shoot him…yet. Her eyes were weary as she began to look at the rest of the faces. She grinned despite herself and found herself wrapping her arms around Andre. She pulled back from their hug, "thank you for everything. Christian and I wouldn't have survived without you."

Dom frowned at that comment and watched as Andre grinned sheepishly, "I told you that you would always have family in Madrid."

"You probably recognize Roman, he's Brian's old friend, and of course Han, Giselle, and Brian. That's Tej over there, our tech expert. They're family. They've all met Christian."

Letty smiled at them all. If Dom had let them anywhere near their baby then must trust them implicitly. She couldn't help herself as she turned to Han, "I swore I had seen you and Giselle in Berlin."

Han grinned at his old friend, happy she was alive and safe, "we were as surprised as you were. We thought you were dead."

Brian stepped forward and hugged Letty. She returned the hug wholeheartedly. He had finally done right by Mia and had made a gorgeous baby boy with her. How could she possibly be angry with him? It was water under the bridge, they'd all done reprehensible things.

"Anthony is so handsome," Letty commented, "and I love that you named him after Tony. He would be so proud."

"He would," Dom agreed.

"We didn't expect you back until tomorrow night," Roman, never one to be bashful, noted.

Letty glanced back at Dom, "there are bigger fish to fry."

Dom thought that was debatable but it was obvious that she wasn't planning on having any type of reconciliatory conversation until they had a plan of attack. Which suited him because he was just as confused as she was. They had been fighting to get back to each other, to make one another safe, for so long. They had left, died, returned, killed, robbed, and everything else in between. And now they were weary of one another. It was completely new for them to show this much restraint around one another.

"That's where you come in actually," Hobbs took a seat at the table. He explained the pressing need to get Lukas before Lukas stole the final package.

She glared at him, "you persist in thinking I can help you capture people. I think you should just get better at your job."

"That's what your husband says too," Hobbs replied with a grin.

Letty glanced back at Dom. Her husband. Standing aloof at the head of the table, watching her with his dark eyes. There was no doubt that he was hungry for her. It was obvious in the way that he looked at every inch and part of her that he wanted to put his mouth on. And in response she dropped her gaze and took measure of every part she wouldn't mind getting her hands or mouth on. Their heady sexually chemistry wasn't gone, not by a long shot. His hands clenched and then he shoved them into his pockets. It was as if he couldn't be touching her then he needed to restrain his wayward hands.

"See this is the shit they do. We're in the middle of a conversation and now they're in the middle of some mental sexual encounter," Brian mentioned to Roman, as if they had been discussing it previously.

Letty shook it off, forcing herself to remember waking up in the hospital after being shot wondering if she had failed to protect Christian as she had their first baby. She forced herself to remember waking up in the DR alone and setting a whole house, their home, on fire. She was at her most destructive when Dom made bad choices. He still hadn't proved that he made better decisions.

Dom watched her whole demeanor change and forced himself to back off and take a seat at the table. He wondered if she regretted being with him. If she did, could he blame her? Even if it would break him if she did?

"There is one more package. One more chance to stop and capture Lukas. If we can, then you'll all be free," Hobbs reminded everyone, subduing them with those simple words.

"What do you mean," Letty asked suspiciously.

"We all get pardons if we can complete the mission," Tej replied.

Letty looked to Dom, silently asking, _then what?_

**May 1, 2011**

**Unknown Location**

It was so hot out that Letty felt a fine sheet of sweat cover her freshly showered body. She walked around the punching bag in the outdoor gym in the desert. They had moved to this ultra secret base to train for their final mission. They drove on a loaded up track. They practiced shooting. They prepared their cars. They did everything they could to prepare themselves to win and to not die in the process.

And in between Letty and Dom were waiting. It wasn't something they had planned. It wasn't a game. They were just getting their thoughts together and waiting for the right moment. It was understood that whatever the outcome of that conversation was would dictate the rest of their lives. For the first time in her adult life Letty was seriously considering having Dom in her life in some capacity other than her lover. It was Tony who had said, sometimes great love is not right love.

At the facility they were all adhering to the separated barracks. Giselle and Letty were roommates on the female side. On the guys' side Roman and Brian were sharing and fighting every night. Tej and Hobbs were getting along, and Tej was teaching him a thing or two about the pluses of illegal activity. Han and Dom were roommates, like back in the day before they started raking in the big money at the underground races of Le Mans. But the distance didn't diminish the tension between Letty and Dom. His eyes were always on her. And when he was in the middle of some sexy MMA style fighting practice she couldn't tear her eyes away to save her life. But this wasn't real life. Every night when Dom and Letty sat in the huge kitchen and Skyped with Mia and Christian was real.

At first Christian hadn't understood. Why couldn't he go to Daddy if he could see him? And the first time he had seen Letty he had cried with big fat tears streaming down his face, Mia had to take him away as he called out for his Mami. Letty had turned her face into Dom's neck, trembling. She was so happy he remembered her and so upset that he was crying. Dom had held her to him, enveloping him in his muscled strength. After they had signed off with Mia he held her to him for a long time.

"Thank you for Christian. For doing what it took to keep him safe. I love him more than my life," he admitted.

Letty nodding, knowing he would. Tony had instilled loyalty and love of family in Dom. Looking at a miniature version of himself how could he not love Christian? But those thoughts led Letty back to a concern she'd had back when she and Christian had been sneaking out of Madrid. Would Dom love Christian enough to stay when he had never loved her enough to stay? And was that acceptable for her? Those were the questions that she still couldn't answer that stopped her from going to him and figuring all of it out.

"It's hot as balls out here," Giselle mentioned as she stepped up beside Letty, pulling her from her thoughts.

"What's good," Letty asked. She began to punch the bag in earnest. If someone was stupid enough to try to go hand to hand with her she had enough pent up sexual tension and anger to take them out.

"I'm glad you asked. We've been cooped up too long in the middle of this desert. And you've been cooped up too long in various prisons. We're going out tonight. To a race."

Letty stopped and smiled at her friend, "that is exactly what I need."

"The only question is which car are we going to bring," Giselle wondered. She tapped her chin, pretending to ponder the question.

Letty grinned, "is there really any question?"

4444

Later that night Giselle and Letty quietly crept to the huge garage where all of the cars were locked. The lock was a non-issue as Giselle picked it expertly. They strode toward Letty's 1972 Dodge Challenger, loving redone by her own hands. She kissed it gently on the steering wheel, welcoming it. After Christian, this was her baby. They drove off the compound with the head lights off and when they hit the highway Letty grinned at Giselle. This was exactly what she had needed.

Like every race scene across the globe there were half naked chicks everywhere, basses vibrating the very air as they spat out the newest, hottest club music. Giselle and Letty stood beside the car appreciating the freedom of being at a race. Letty noted the ring leader, a kid who had to be at least ten years younger than her. He almost made her laugh out loud as tried to hit on her. She tossed him a roll of bills and grinned back at him, "we'll see how much you like me after the race."

Giselle was grooving to the music when she spotted the Chevelle backing into a spot. As Letty walked toward her Giselle motioned behind her. Letty turned, immediately spotted Dom as he stood from the car, and groaned out loud. She walked to Giselle, "so much for a good race."

"I wouldn't say that," she replied, motioning once more toward Dom. He was handing the teenager a stack of bills and staring right at Letty. Giselle grinned at him in greeting, "I think that's a challenge Letty."

Dom strode toward them, his swagger out in full force, women began to follow him. Letty stepped forward and looked at every one of them, her nonverbal communication was astoundingly clear, they vacated.

"You were gonna race without me," he questioned as he stepped up into her breathing space.

"Well you weren't invited were you," she replied. Letty knew what that type of response her comments would cause. She didn't back down when he stepped even closer to her.

Dom lifted her up briefly before sliding her down his body and to the ground. Letty's heart began to pound and she found herself clamping her legs together, "what do I get when I win?"

"You might ask yourself what you stand to lose," she was still standing chest to chest with him.

"Baby you know better," his voice dropped an octave, "I don't lose, not when it counts."

They both pulled up to the line. Dom looked over at his wife and felt himself reacting to her all over again. This last month had been a test of patience for both of them. They could lose everything if they didn't do this whole thing right.

"You might lose your car," she told him with a smirk.

"Is that all? You might lose your heart," he replied.

She looked right at him, her dark eyes hiding nothing, "that hasn't been mine for decades."

"Diddo," and then he gunned his engine as the race began.

It was a clear dirt street shaped in a horseshoe, no street lights, no pigs. Just them, and their cars, and their passion. Letty slid ahead, slipping into the third gear with ease, her foot barely tapping the clutch. They approached the turn and Dom gunned into fourth before taking the turn in a quick second gear before flying back into fourth. He got ahead. Letty barely missed him as she tailed him by an inch. And then she pushed her NOS button and flew just a touch too early and Dom got ahead. Even as she lost Letty grinned, she was going to beat his ass in a race one day. As they slowed he motioned for her to pull over out into the wild, empty desert.

They got out of their cars, both of them breathing wildly as they stared at one another. There were no words this time. There wasn't a need at that moment for them. They met each other in the middle. Letty wrapped her arms around his neck and their mouths fused together. After all the distance they remembered exactly what they were doing. Their tongues tangled, they fit their bodies together, and Dom dropped his hands down to her ass, lifting her to him. She wrapped her legs around his hips grinding against him desperately. He ripped his lips from hers, using a free hand he pulled her tang top off and with infinite finesse unclipped her bra and dropped it to the ground. With care he gently lowered her to the hood of his car. She laid back, comfortable, after all this wasn't the first hood she had laid on waiting for him.

He stripped his jacket off followed by his wife beater. Then he was bending over her lapping at her nipples, kissing each and every barely there stretch mark that served as a reminder that this woman had held his son inside of her. He pulled the skin tight leather skinny pants from her. He looked up to see her face. She was looking at him, her eyes hooded as she bit her lip, waiting for him.

"I need you. It's been too long," she admitted.

He obliged, dropping his jeans and pulling her to the edge of the hood. It was torture. It was perfect. It was what it always had been and better. Dom met her gaze again, "I've loved you every single day. Even when I was fucking up I loved you. I may have left you but you have never left my heart."

Letty reached up to him, cupping his face, and pulled him down to kiss her. And then he was pulsing inside of her and they were connected. There were no edges. There were no explanations necessary in this moment. They were one. He kissed her cross, snug between her breasts, and took them both into heaven.


	22. September 1, 2011 PART V

**September 1, 2011**

**Berlin, Germany**

Letty allowed Dom to lift her and gently lay her on the bed. He kissed her mouth sweetly with a grin on his face even though it was distinctly possible this would be the last time they would both be alive. She reminded him of that fact.

"Letty, we've come too far to die today. We are going home to our son. And we are going to trade vows again in front of everyone who ever knew us. And we are going to fix my poor baby too," Dom mentioned.

"Maybe Mia was right, maybe that car is cursed," Letty replied.

Dom laid his head on her stomach and sighed out loud as she rubbed his ears and head, "maybe. But either way it's a part of our history. You did lose your virginity in that car."

Letty laughed out loud, "yeah, to a man whore at that!"

"I take offence to that! I only had the best and brightest," Dom replied.

"If by brightest you mean their silicone glowed in the dark!"

He rose above her and began to pull her pants from her. Letty laughed again, "we only have a few hours!"

"What's one less," he challenged.

"You make a solid point," she replied, raising her hips to help him strip her.

**June 1, 2011**

**Berlin, Germany**

Letty stood staring at the wall of monitors in the new and improved underground bunker. The last time she had been underground in Berlin she had been a prisoner. Now she stood on the opposite side. The entire perimeter was under surveillance. They had come in under the cover of darkness in nondescript cars, barely visible in the midst of the excitement surrounding the Spandau Citadel Music Festival kicking off that weekend. Just what they needed in light of the epic battle that they were about to wage, a huge population of drunk partiers. But they had trained for this and every other eventuality. And in between training she and Dom had been ravenous with an unquenchable thirst for one another. She had gotten used to the soreness. But she continued to ache, the only time she felt okay was when he was inside of her. They still hadn't discussed what kind of life they would be living after they finished this. In fact, they hadn't discussed much at all. They were still actively avoiding having a conversation that might change their dynamic forever. What it came down to was that things had changed. Not the basics: their love for one another, their sexual chemistry, their link in the form of their son. But now they had her death, the ramifications of her death, years apart, and years spent in a relationship with another woman. And then there was the fact that Letty was so fucking mad at Dom that sometimes she couldn't breathe. He had left again and again. She had made superiorly fucked up decisions again and again. And it all just infuriated her. She shoved her hands into her back pockets and continued to watch, refusing to think about things she could not change at the moment.

A few feet behind her Dom watched her in a brooding silence. Her body language was screaming agony. She might think that she was angry, and maybe to some extent she was, but beyond that she was hurt. And he'd been the one to cause it. Ever since the day he had finally seen Letty as the partner he would have in this life he had sworn that he would protect her. Her health and freedom was paramount to his own. But somehow he had steam rolled over the fact that every time he left her he was hurting her as much as stabbing her would hurt. He hadn't understood that until she had been the one to go, the one to die. It wasn't about doing the right thing for a community if it meant leaving her behind. It wasn't about dodging the law and staying out of prison if she wasn't alive to appreciate the freedom with him. He had lived since her death, had killed men, had attempted to really love another woman, a worthy woman. And none of it mattered. That had been why she told him not to trade vows with her if he was going to walk again. Because she took their promise to heart, and when he had left he had broken more than her heart. He'd broken their promise and she couldn't rectify in her mind the man she couldn't help but love and the man she could never trust. Because even if they won this whole thing and life went back to slow, easy days at home and the garage it would still have its tough moments. It would be those moments where she should be able to trust him the most that he had shown through his actions over decades that he couldn't be trusted. And only actions could show her differently. How could he ever expect her to show just a bit of trust? Just enough to get them to the next crisis, no matter how small or big, so he could prove that he finally understood. It wasn't that he didn't love her enough to stay before and now finally did, but that he was brave enough to stay and face whatever came beside her. He'd been running and as Ana had so many years ago, running isn't living.

"Based on the amount of noise you two produce in a six hour period you would think both of you would at least be smiling."

Hobbs' voice and his presence suddenly beside him made Dom want to roll his eyes. Because he and Letty really had just been fucking nonstop he hadn't had time to question her about her time with Hobbs. But every time she was in his presence Dom saw her trigger finger literally itching. She may not hate Hobbs but she definitely wanted to bleed him out a little bit.

"My wife is a very complex woman," Dom replied. He purposefully reiterated that she belonged with him in all ways not the least of which was legally.

"That's a nice way of saying stubborn as fuck."

Dom hated that Hobbs knew her well enough to make these comments. He felt his body respond to his emotions. His muscles tightened, flexed. He recognized that what he was feeling was jealousy, an emotion he had rarely felt. Letty was as jealous as he was and had put effort into not putting him into positions to feel that way. So now, with her silence, and Hobbs knowing comments, Dom felt his inner alpha male stretch to the surface.

"What do you know about how stubborn my wife is," Dom asked, crossing his arms over his expansive chest.

Hobbs grinned, enjoying pissing Dom off, "I know enough. For months I spent hours every single day shooting the shit with your wife. She's smart, and quick, and definitely deserves better than you."

He hadn't come right out said he wanted Letty but it was close enough that Dom felt his blood start to pump faster and his anger start to take over.

"And not to mention I've never seen a woman look so good after a month without a shower."

Dom turned then and with all of his force clipped Hobbs in the chin with his closed fist. Hobbs staggered back, he dabbed his lip with his hand and finding blood on it roared before he speared Dom backward and through the long folding table behind Letty.

"What the fuck," Letty's surprised exclamation was barely heard in the chorus of growls, snarls, and curses being yelled between the two wrestling men.

Brian, Rome, and two of Hobbs soldier ran over to separate the two but weren't successful until after Hobbs punched Dom in the ribs. Dom doubled over, his breath puffed out in surprise and pain. But not to be outdone, he kicked Hobbs legs out from under him as he was rising, making him land straight on his back.

Finally, with Brian and Rome holding Dom back and the soldiers helping Hobbs to his feet, Letty stepped between the men, "just what the fuck is going on hours before we are supposed to be stopping a sociopath from acquiring international intel? Hobbs, you're a soldier and enforcer. Where the hell has your training gone? And Dom, there is a baby expecting his father to come home and take him for a drive in the big car as promised. Have even thought of Christian in the last ten minutes?"

Han shared a grin with Tej, the two men had just been well and truly served. Giselle stepped closer to Letty, a show of solidarity. If one of the only two women was going to be pissed off then it really was important to show support.

"He was talking like you guys had such great, long chats every day that he held you prisoner! Like he knew you so God damn well," Dom glowered at Hobbs.

"Look is this because he saw my boobs? Because trust me it was not a good time," she commented.

Dom's eyes widened in complete surprise. Hobbs actually held up a hand, about to tell Dom that she was right, expressing breast milk wasn't his idea of an aphrodisiac. But it was too late, Dom wretched himself from Brian and Rome and kicked Hobbs directly in the stomach. When Hobbs bent over he hit him with a right undercut and he was splayed out on the floor, dazed.

Dom went to Letty in a huff. But she wasn't afraid, she stood her ground, he grabbed her arm and forcibly pulled her toward a room, slamming the door behind them.

"What the fuck do you mean he saw your boobs," Dom growled the question.

Letty rolled her eyes, she had obviously fucked up, but it really was innocent. Hobbs had never acted in a sexual manner toward her, "I breast fed Christian Dom."

"What the fuck does that have to do with anything?"

She rose and stuck her finger in his chest, fuming, "what does it have to do with anything? Que tiene que ver con nada? It has to do with the fact that my baby wasn't even walking when I had to bring him to people he had never seen so he would be safe. It has to do with the fact that I wanted to be the best mom I could be so I had a natural child birth and I breast fed. Even though that labor was 24 hours long! And Christian was ravenous every hour for the first three months so I never slept! And it has to with the fact that when I was sleeping on an old, dirty cot for weeks because I was stupid enough to allow myself to fall in love with you all those years ago my boobs got rock hard and swollen to the point where I couldn't move my arms because it was so painful and I finally had enough and expressed my milk over a piss bucket under surveillance. So yes, he saw my boobs. But I haven't even thought of being with another man in so long that I don't remember what it's like not to be madly in love with you. And I fucking hate you for what loving you has turned me into."

Dom's face was serious as he stared into his wife's eyes and listened to every word she said. She was raging against him, finally. He had waited for her to finally open up and here it was. She was breathing hard, her chest heaving under her black, skin tight tang top. Her hair was in a no-nonsense ponytail, and her eyebrows were furrowed over her dark eyes. But her mouth was dipped at the corners in sadness. He cupped her cheeks, "I hate that my stupidity has caused you so much pain. One of the reasons I've always been drawn to you, always loved you, is because I knew I could trust you because you're like me. You're loyal and stubborn. But unlike me, you're brave. In the same circumstances you would have made completely different choices than me."

Letty continued to stare into his eyes and finally asked the question of which she was the most scared of the answer, "will you love Christian enough to stay, no matter what, when you never could love me enough?"

Dom closed his eyes because if he had to see her dark eyes so big and full, so sad, he would weep himself. He pulled her into his arms even though she was stiff. Gently placing his chin on her hair and breathing her in, "Letty, I couldn't love anyone more than I love you and Christian. It's different but it's equal. The reason that I'll stay now is that your death made me brave enough to conquer the world. And your resurrection has given me a chance to do the thing that I never could before."

She looked up at him, "what's that?"

"From now on I'm going to trust you as much as I trust myself. For the rest of my life as long as it involves Dom it involves Letty. And as long as it involves Letty it involves Dom. I will die before I ever walk out on you again. Because, like everything in my life, being with you has made me a better man. I know you need me to prove it. All I ask for is for you to give me the chance to."

"I am so mad at you," she admitted.

"And I'm mad at you too. Even though I know I prompted all of your actions, I still rage inside when I think of you running for Braga with Christian in your belly."

"I'm hurt," she could barely whisper those words.

He tipped her head back and cupped her face, looking her dead in the eyes, "I will spend the rest of my life by your side trying to make up for your hurt."

"I laid down the gauntlet once before," she fingered his cross as she spoke, "the day before we exchanged vows. You broke those vows Dom. You broke that promise."

Dom nodded, there really wasn't a damn thing he could say about that fact. Letty felt one single tear fall as she said what she had to say, "I don't trust you. And I'm tired of being the woman who lays it all on the line, who puts herself inches away from death, for a man who insists on leaving her. I want to be with you every day. I love talking to you, and kissing you, and fucking you, and I think I will love raising our baby with you. But I can't be with you anymore. I love Christian too much to leave him without a mom. I love our makeshift family too much to leave again. I love me too much to die for a man who persists in leaving me."

She had said it. Finally, the words that would change their dynamic for the rest of their lives. And now she had to seal it. Letty reached behind her neck and unclasped her cross for the first time in years. She opened Dom's fist and laid it gently inside, "there will never be a day that I don't love you."

Dom watched her leave, heard the small sound of the door closing, and fell to his knees. There were no tears just unwavering, unending pain that made him feel so damn bereft that he couldn't breathe.

**This chapter had to happen. Letty deserves a chance to vent all of that shit out. But as you see from the flash forward at the beginning, they'll figure their shit out :)**


	23. Author's Note

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

As everyone who has stuck with me for the last 3 years knows, I'm back after a long hiatus. I've reread and reread and reread this fic over the last years trying to figure how I was going to end this epic story. And a week ago I just started writing and it flowed so organically that I was finally ready to get back into the game. The last two chapters have invoked serious emotional reviews. Unfortunately many reviews were from guests so I am unable to respond to them personally. But they've affected me enough that I felt I had to respond and this seems to be the only way.

First of all, thanks for reading and responding at all. I don't hear much about my grammatical errors so that must mean that they aren't detracting from the actual story.

Second, one comment was that what Letty and Dom have isn't REAL love. It's too lust oriented and obsessive. Maybe you're right. What I've tried to convey is what I think the original films have tried to convey: these two are very flawed people. And flawed people, as a rule, don't encounter "pure/real love" and turn perfect. For a long time their love for each other was completely wrapped up in their sexual relationship, their obsession with their team and cars, and where they stood legally (or, I guess you could say illegally). I've tried to show that for Letty she's grown as a person for the best reason, because she's a mom now. She requires a level of trust now. And I don't think that having her admit that she knows her heart lies with him is a weakness. She refuses to lie and I think that's admirable. She's not letting herself be weak anymore. Not telling Dom that she was still in love with him would be a weakness, a side she was hiding. If you read the previous chapters it was her thoughts of him and their baby that kept her alive. So yes, call it pathetic, but it's her truth.

Third, it was so important to me that Letty get to say all the things that have been on her mind since 'Los Bandoleros'. I wanted her to get a chance to mull over her thoughts and to really verbally lambaste Dom. A lot of people were mad that they had sex continually for about month before Letty finally got her chance. But what I wanted you to know is that despite what she's been through she still human. She craved Dom's presence for years and she gave herself a month of really good sex before cutting that tie. Once again, she's flawed and only human.

Fourth, I'm sorry that I've done a shitty job of conveying that Dom is in agony over everything. In my next chapters I plan to really include his thought process and make him more verbal. Like Letty, he's grown, her death and Christian have changed him for the better too. And again, like Letty, he needed that month of sexual contact after years apart too but if you really read that last chapter he had been waiting and hoping she would open up and just verbally kill him because he knew he deserved it. He has grown and I promise to convey that and to give ample time for him to start making up for his sins.

So stay tuned and I hope this helped you guys make sense of everything.


	24. September 1, 2011 PART VI

June 1, 2011

Berlin, Germany

Tej used his pointer to point out all of the locations on the map where a team of two would be located. Hobbs had talked the German government into agreeing to ship the intel in a tank. Yes, an obvious target, but also not completely strange in the area given that there was a military base nearby. The idea was that even if they stopped the tank it would be more difficult to get the package and in the time required to take it the team would be able to get on the scene, take the package, and get Lukas apprehended. But it was certainly easier said than done.

"Han and Giselle, you'll be trailing the tank from the get go. Giselle has the best aim and if any of them get out of their vehicle to get the package, she is most likely to take out her target," Hobbs held a bag of ice over his busted lip as he called out the teams. Giselle grinned at her boyfriend and winked. She was completely aware of her badass persona. Hobbs gestured toward the section of the great room that was committed to their weapons, "go shopping girl!"

Giselle jumped up and clapped excitedly before heading toward her newest toys. Hobbs eyed Rome and Brian, "despite my thoughts on the issue it would be best to have you two together. Like Dom and Letty, one of you needs to be dedicated to driving like a beast and the other needs to be ready to jump out of the vehicle if necessary."

Rome stuck his tongue out at Brian from across the table. Brian threw a bunched up paper ball at him. Dom sat across from his wife, who not even one hour before had essentially broken up with him, yet he continued to finger her gold cross in his pocket. It had been weeks and months since he'd finally gotten her back but he was still grateful that she was even alive and on earth. It was a fast rebound but he was all ready sure that he was going to get her back. She was trying to use her head when she had admitted that he all ready had her heart. Maybe it was time he made some admissions of his own. Maybe it was time to drop the macho bullshit and let her all the way in. She'd all ready been stuck in his heart for years.

"You ready to jump out of a car," Brian asked her.

Letty rolled her eyes, "it's what I do."

"Damn right," Han agreed, "on a gas freight in the DR she jumped from the back to the top of Dom's car. He swung the car and essentially ricocheted Letty back into the passenger side. Two words: bad, ass."

"How'd you do that girl," Rome asked.

Letty grinned, "you heard the man, I'm a bad ass."

"If I'm supposed to be doing that shit tonight then I might need a drink right now! Come on girl, what do I do if it happens?"

"All you have to do is trust your driver," she admitted. Nothing and nobody on earth could have gotten her to jump that day except Dom. And no matter what had transpired since then if she were in the same position tonight she would only jump for Dom.

"I love you Letty." Letty deadpanned as everyone in the room turned to look at him. He didn't shrug it off or look down, he took everyone's scrutiny. There had been years that he hadn't voiced the words because he hadn't been brave enough back then. Now, with everything to lose, he was finally brave enough.

"Well…that's awkward. So," Tej cleared his throat, "are we ready for go time?"

Giselle smoothed her Remington with her hand as if she were caressing her lover, "I think we're as ready as we'll ever be."

6666

"You trust your driver," Dom asked as they sat in the dark of his Chevelle.

Letty nodded, "of course. I've always trusted you to keep me safe physically when we were together. I just have a hard time trusting you with my heart, trusting you to stay."

"This sound familiar," he asked the question gently knowing that she would be thinking of the night before their wedding too.

"You broke that vow, Dom."

"I did. And there won't ever be anything that I'm more sorry for. Hurting you, making you feel so badly, is the biggest mistake I've ever made. I know that my actions are what have caused you to question our relationship. Just know that since the day you died I have lived with that fact as surely as you have since the day Fenix shot you."

Letty stared ahead as drunk party animals walked past the car, uncaring that there were two random people sitting in it. She took a deep breath, "Mia told me what you said the day you found out I was alive. You were right, you are the fuck up in this situation. I'm pissed that Christian won't grow up with us together the way your parents were. You created this division."

"And I'll make it right even if it takes the rest of my life. Letty my dad once told me that my mother showed up, cut through all of his bullshit, and took his breath away. I haven't been able to breathe since the first time I saw you fix an engine. I didn't want to love you for a long time. And then I didn't want to hurt you. The problem was that I never trusted you enough, never respected your decision enough, to stay."

Tej's voice sounded through their ear pieces. It was go time. Dom started his car and began speeding toward the tank. In approximately ten minutes they would run directly into the tank and Lukas' team.

"To be honest I don't know why the hell you stuck with me so long. Until the very moment Mia called me and said those fucking words I was the same arrogant piece of shit. But holding Christian, knowing he was me and you, and that in the end I was still the only one you trusted to love him told me everything I would ever need to know."

Dom was speeding and Letty loved it, "and what's that?"

"That you still see the good in me. Knowing I still have your love and loyalty makes me want to work overtime to prove my love and loyalty to you. I will show you Letty. Because I've lived a life where you were dead and nothing was okay."

"Not even Elena?"

He slid into the third gear, "I tried to be okay without you. And Elena is a good woman. She deserves someone who can love her like her husband did, like I love you."

"Love has never been enough for us. It's never been enough for you to stay. You said it yourself you never had the trust and respect for me that I had for you."

"And that's the fuck up you chose to love for the last twenty years. Hoping I would change even if you never asked me to. And now I have. I'm sorry it was such a hard fought lesson."

"What's your point," Letty finally huffed out. She knew he would be sorry she was hurt. She had known he cared for her. But it didn't change the way he was, only time would tell if he had really changed.

"My point is that my life and my thought processes are an open book. When this shit is over you can ask me anything you want at any time and I'll answer as honestly and fully as I can. I'm not hiding anything from you anymore Letty. And I'm not asking anything of you either. If and when you're ready to take me back it will be on your time. Because I'm not going anywhere."

"We'll see," she replied. But her heart leapt. Even if she didn't want the answers he was willing to answer every question she had. It gave her power over him that her alpha male husband never gave anyone. Dom was quiet in most cases, too much the leader to ever feel like he had to explain himself. Giving her that power made her heady although her brain reminded her that they were so far from made up that it wasn't even funny.

Dom and Letty approached the tank from the left flank while Giselle and Han approached from the right. It was just after sunset and because of the festival the road was practically deserted.

"C_oming from the Southeast! Is that a-? What the fuck! They have a tank too_!"

At Tej's words Letty and Dom turned to the left and saw what Tej's cameras in Hobbs' helicopter had all ready picked up. Lukas was coming in full force. Not only was there an equally large tank but two modified tank-like low riders flanking it.

"Oh shit, he actually found a way to make those," Letty muttered out loud.

Dom spared her a quick glance, "what the fuck are they?"

She pressed her finger to her earpiece to activate it, normally she wouldn't until right before she had to leave the vehicle. When she knew the whole team could hear she explained, "they are iron covered V12 monster machines with bullet proof glass and a fun little steel bumper nicely molded so that it easily slides under other cars to flip them over. You can't take them out from a distance and you also can't get too close."

"And you knew about these," Hobbs asked.

"Shut the fuck up. If she knew he could actually make them she would have disclosed," Dom replied, immediately defensive. This did pose a problem though. They had prepared for a lot of shit but this was not one of them.

"So what's the plan chief," Rome's voice sounded as worried as Dom was beginning to feel.

Letty took a deep breath, "now you get me in that tank. I'll take the package and we'll get out. We can't beat them but you sure as hell can out race them."

"Fuck Letty," Brian's voice was angry, "Mia's gonna whoop my ass if you get hurt or dead for real."

"Sorry for the inconvenience," she looked into Dom's eyes as he continued to drive confidently. His eyes were telling her what they always did in these situations. His words confirmed the words she knew, "ride or die."

"Ride or die," she repeated. She pulled on her holster, making sure it would hold the package. The idea of her or Rome needing to get into the moving tank wasn't completely out off the wall. They had prepared for it. It had just seemed very unlikely. And because she had more experience jumping it was her responsibility to go. If she fucked up it would be on Rome.

Dom took off faster, trying to beat them to the tank so Letty would have a clear jump initially. He felt his palms sweating. Even the thought of Letty leaving again, dying again, made him feel completely unhinged. He could not lose her again. Not before he could prove to her that he was here to stay. Not before he could live every day of their life putting her on a pedestal and treating her how he should have every day from the get go. He had fucked up so completely and he knew he deserved her anger. But God help him he had never loved another woman the way that he loved Letty just for being 100% herself.

"Hey," she grabbed his attention again. She was tightening her boot strings, her left foot pressed against his dash board. Her ponytail was pulled back tightly, she definitely meant business. She reached over and squeezed his bicep, "baby, stop gripping that steering wheel so hard."

"If I don't then I'm going to grab your hand to stop you from jumping out of this car and take you away from here as fast as I can," he admitted.

"He better not," Hobbs muttered.

She moved closer to him and kissed his lips. She needed the comfort as much as he did. She was so close to seeing Christian and Mia again. She really didn't want to die for real this time.

Dom returned her kiss with a moan and ravaged her mouth with his tongue. She pulled back enough to look him in the eyes, "I'm not leaving this Earth until I hold my baby again. And not before I give you all sorts of hell."

He grinned despite himself, "you trust your driver?"

Letty rolled down her window as they approached the tank, she looked back at him, "with my life."

Dom got her within feet of the tank. Hobbs had ordered the top open. Letty positioned herself in the window and leapt quickly. They had perilously little time to get her in the tank, the package attached to her, and her back into the car. She landed with a thud on the top of the tank, her breath whooshed out of her in a puff.

"God damn, I am getting too old for this shit," she muttered. She shifted easily into the tank and greeted the soldier. He quickly began putting a code into the government grade steel box holding the package. He continued on and on, Letty rolled her eyes, "how many damn numbers are there?"

"Enough to make it damn hard to crack," he replied.

The tank was knocked toward the left suddenly and the soldier dropped the box. And then Tej's voice, "_Damn it! They're hitting you with the other tank. Get the package and get the fuck out of there! Brian watch out for that mini-tank-thing_!"

The tank got knocked again. This time Letty fell over, she rose despite the almost tilting sensation and got to the soldier. She shoved the box into his hands, "open this shit so I can get the hell out of here!"

Outside Brian and Rome were being run down by one of the mini-tanks. Brian held his ground, trying to out maneuver them, but the sharpened edge of the bumper popped his tire. He was forced to slow his car as he pulled out of this race. He slammed his hands down on the steering wheel, "fuck. We're out guys!"

Han and Giselle slid behind Dom, flanking him because Letty would be jumping into his car. Giselle slid her upper body out of the car. Her body language was relaxed as she aimed her shot gun and took one easy shot. She didn't wait to see if she hit her target because she simply didn't miss.

As she rolled the window up Han was watching the road and his right hand was extended to her, in it was a gorgeous pink gold solitaire engagement ring with a huge clear diamond. Giselle's eyes shot between him and the ring. Han finally looked at her, "I love you. Marry me and shoot bad guys beside me forever."

Giselle laughed out loud as she snatched the ring and kissed his cheek, "that was the best proposal ever!"

Behind them one of the mini tanks tires had blown out at top speed and they had rolled over multiple times. Dom grinned as he glanced in the rearview mirror, she never missed. But that tank was pushing their tank too far over. If Dom had to get on the grass beside the street he wouldn't be able to drive as smoothly for Letty to jump over.

"Letty get out now," Dom ordered.

"Just getting strapped up now," she replied.

"Han can you get over to the other side? Maybe if we can take out that other mini-tank it will redirect the big tank."

Immediately Han's car fell back to get around to the other side. Lukas' tank was coming toward their tank again, this time aimed for the back left flank, purposefully trying to take out one of the few weak spots on a tank. Letty popped up on top of the tank and tried to get her bearings. Dom was precariously close to the grassy shoulder of the road. She climbed out fully as the other tank struck them. She found herself in flight and at the last moment was able to grab onto the turret. She felt her legs flying in the air before the tank regained balance and they landed with a slam against the tank.

"Letty," just the way Giselle said her name told Letty that it was getting more dangerous for her to be here.

"I'm good," she grunted.

"I'm going to pull up ahead of the tank baby, get ready to jump," Dom told her.

The mini tank was bumping the back of Han's car repeatedly. Han had to pull back just enough to get around the opposing tank and toward the front of their tank. If he was closer then Letty would have to jump to them. Either way they had to get the hell out of this situation.

Letty gathered herself to get ready to jump to Dom but before she could Lukas' tank finally popped the steel on the left flank and she felt her tank beginning to tip. Her stomach dropped as she made a life or death decision and launched herself in the opposite direction, hopefully toward Han and Giselle. The moments slowed as she felt herself moving through the air. And in that time she thought of only one thing: holding Christian in her arms while Dom held them both in his.

Dom grunted as he ditched his car and used all of his leg muscles to launch himself toward Letty. They landed on the hood of Han's car, Dom beneath her to shelter as much as he could. Letty looked up at him in wonder, "are you fucking serious?"

"What can I say? I love you," he replied. He knew he was going to ache for real tomorrow.

"How sweet," Lukas' German accent was thick.

Dom looked up to see that there were all ready guns aimed toward Han and Giselle. And Lukas was staring at Letty with a ferocious scowl as he aimed his hand gun at her. They rose slowly, their hands in the air. Lukas had four other men total, a small but efficient group. Their tank was on fire in the middle of the grassy median.

"What happened to Hobbs," Lukas wondered.

"He's around here somewhere," Letty replied.

"No doubt. Give me the package."

"Can't do that," Letty's trigger finger itched. Lukas wasn't a soft man. He would kill them all.

"Luger go get that package off of her," Lukas ordered.

Dom was still as he waited for the man to approach her. When the behemoth of a man snatched the small box off her he thanked her by tossing his hand back to smack her. Dom roared in outrage and tackled the man. Then all hell broke loose. Brian and Rome jumped into the mix from out of nowhere. In the midst of the brawl Dom noted as Lukas caught Letty who had tried to get around them and away. He aimed his gun again and pulled the trigger. Once again Dom found himself jumping in front of her. The power of the bullet going through his right shoulder was astounding. He fell backward, landing on Letty. She grunted but was trying to crawl away as Lukas himself snatched the small watch box sized package from her. He stood again and aimed at her again, "goodbye Letty."

And then, like an archangel just in the nick of time, Hobbs' helicopter found them and he began to rain bullets down. Dom managed to get off of Letty and then she and Brian helped to move him behind Han's car for cover. But it was too late, even with one of Lukas' men dead from the bullets, they were getting into their mini-tank and getting out of the line of fire.

"Fuck," Brian raged. It was the most fitting word possible for the situation.

6666

The fall out was swift. Failure hadn't been an option on the table but the U.S. government was always prepared for the worst. They had met at the rendezvous point and were immediately placed in a nondescript private plane headed toward Cuba. Just because they had failed the mission didn't mean it was back to hiding from the government. There had been an alternative. It just hadn't been one that any of them had wanted to consider. Now that Lukas had the intel he would have to sell it. And that provided their final opportunity to earn their pardons. It was also a suicide mission. Lukas would be expecting them. He would have the power to plan the location, how many international criminals were present, and would undoubtedly have the high ground. In short, they were fucked. Literally the only thing they had going for them was that Lukas would not be able to copy the intel because it would bring down it's value considerably, so there was still only one package to retrieve.

"Stop thinking so loud," Dom murmured the words to Letty as a doctor removed the bullet from his right shoulder.

Letty watched the doctor patch up her husband in silence. Finally when they were left alone in the small private room she went to him. He watched her with hooded eyes, not moving, allowing her to control what happened. Finally she dug her thumb into his wound making him yelp before swatting her hand away. She pushed him back, an easy feat given the blood loss, and straddled him. She looked down at his face, "I don't like the idea of anyone except me shooting you."

"I killed the last guy who shot you," he reminded her.

She recognized that their relationship was completely obsessive and probably completely unhealthy. But she had loved this man for years. Had given birth to his son and had her happiest memories with him. Seeing him be shot, and knowing it had been to protect her. Appreciating that he hadn't shut her out while they had transferred him to the plane. And feeling in her bones, even if she wasn't ready to admit it, that this time really did feel different. It changed everything even as it changed nothing.

Letty needed to feel him, to know he was alive. She yanked at his jeans, pulling down his briefs, he was hard all ready. She wasn't wet enough but she wanted the friction and the baseline pain. Letty accidentally put her hands down on his bruised ribs and he barely winced. As she rode him he gazed up at her, in awe of her. He knew exactly what she was feeling. Understood the need to fuck even if it hurt just because she was so familiar and yet every single time still invoked that feeling of utter disbelief that anything could feel so damn right. He came in heavy gushes inside her warmth even as she groaned long and loud. Even when everything in the world was wrong being with this woman was never ever wrong. She collapsed on him, mindful of his wound, "Dom, if I ever get ahold of a mold of your dick I don't think I would ever need to speak to you again."

He laughed even though it hurt because she was such a damn spitfire. And because he knew she loved being pressed up against him when he laughed. And since he didn't know how long this closeness would last he started talking.

"I tried to make it this way with Elena," he felt her stiffen, "but she just isn't you. None of them were ever you."

"Then why were you with them," she whispered the question.

"When I was younger because I couldn't believe that you were the one. I'm not sure if you noticed but I was pretty fly," when she snorted into his throat he laughed again. "I wasn't ready to be the man. I understood what being the man meant. It was my father's position. And since he was alive and well, why try to take that position? Then you punched the shit out of me that day in the backyard. My Dad was proud of you. He told me that you were the type of girl who would stand by me through the worst of the worst. And then he died, and you did. You should know that I kept every letter you ever wrote me. You should know that I am so thankful that you and Vince were there for Mia. You should know that I fell even deeper in love with you when I realized that you were exactly what my Dad told me you would be."

"So why drape yourself in all the race whores?"

"It was my reputation. Even when I got out of prison I still didn't want to be the man. I knew that I had to be but I was still immature. And to be honest, I just loved the attention. I'm an alpha male, it was good to know that I could attract any woman I wanted. Being an alpha male and immature was a poor combination in me. I completely understand why you punched me that day. I earned it. But that's the thing, you were always so damn stubborn. You didn't walk away no matter what. No matter how much I fucked up you refused to give up on me. I'm proud of you for breaking up with me."

Letty glanced up at him, still silently listening, they made eye contact as he continued, "I've been trying to tell you from the get-go that I am not worthy of you. And the thing is the more I fucked up, the more you loved me. Why?"

"First of all, I still love you, you fucking buffoon. It's just that for the first time I can't imagine our future because I don't know if I'll ever stop worrying that you'll just leave one day when you say you're going to the beach. And the thought of Christian missing out on you breaks my heart. The thought of me doing something really stupid because of you and hurting Christian in any way terrifies me. Second of all, you believe you aren't worthy for me. It doesn't mean that it's true. I'm fucked up too Dom. I fuck up too."

"But why did you refuse to give up," the question had been dogging him for years.

If he was going to be truthful then she couldn't do anything other than return the favor, "because something in me, that is as natural as my own thoughts or breathing air, is convinced that you're the only man in the world who can make me feel as alive as I feel when I'm near you. I could love another man, I know I could! But it wouldn't be fair to him because you touch something deep inside me. Something I didn't even know was in me until I loved you. If I could eradicate you I would. But I've never been one to fight the inevitable. What's the point?"

"I fought it," he reminded her.

"Yeah, but like you said you're stupid."

He laughed again, although the thought of her with another man hurt him. He felt it was no more than he deserved. She caressed his chin before laying a kiss on it, "Christian has your chin. And your forehead crinkle. And your sensitive ears."

"He is a really good looking baby," Dom mentioned, he tangled his hand in her hair appreciating its cool smoothness.

"He really is! I thought it was just me because I'm his Mom. I can't wait to hold him."

"Tell me about the pregnancy and the delivery."

Letty sighed, she pulled her underwear up and helped him with his briefs, "well I never had one day of nausea. But when I hit six months I had heartburn like you wouldn't believe! I tried to work all of the time to avoid thinking of you but Andre was very protective and started pad locking the door! Stop growling, I said I wanted to overwork but Andre was very stubborn. Very reminiscent of you. Anyway, Christian was a night owl. I would lay in bed at night and he would move constantly. He loved kicking my ribs. My belly was huge. Toward the end I was so damn hot that all I wore were wife beaters and cut off shorts. Then I hit nine months and he dropped down. I could breathe again but I peed every five minutes. Some nights it was all I could do to roll my girth out of bed and into the bathroom in time. I don't do anything in half measures. I wasn't just pregnant, I was super pregnant."

"And then you went into labor…"

She snorted, "if you want to call it that. Then one night I started having crazy back spasms, or so my stupid ass thought. I went to the garage and had them all day. And then I bent to lift up a wrench that one of the kids had left on the ground and my water broke right there. Andre flipped out. I went to the midwife's clinic and proceeded to have the most agonizing back labor you could ever imagine for sixteen hours. Then I went into transition."

"What's transition," he asked. The story had enraptured him.

"That's that lovely part of labor that happens before you're ready to deliver. I just about fell apart. I have never felt pain like that. They encourage you to bring things to help you through it. I had a picture of us. I wept and I rolled around on this huge yoga ball and stared at a picture of us. And I got through it and had the easiest delivery ever. Four pushes and he was out. I was so damn proud of myself."

Dom held her closer, "I've never been as proud of you as I was when I met him."

"He is our masterpiece," Letty replied.

"No matter what you decide the only thing that will take me out of Christian's life is my death."

"You're not going to die Dom. I don't know how we're going to do it but we're going to intercept that intel before he can sell it and capture Lukas. Because you owe me a lot of years of being this open and staying put until I can really trust you again."

"I know," he replied even as he soothed her with a back rub. He had every intention of sticking to her like glue for the rest of their lives. But he didn't kid himself into thinking that this last chance was going to be easier. He had been lucky this time, it had only been a flesh wound. But he knew in the same scenario he would step between that bullet and Letty every time. And next time maybe he wouldn't be so lucky. He had been lucky a lot in his life. He'd had great parents and a great sister, he'd had a great best friend, he'd married his soulmate, and ended up with potentially the best looking baby ever born. Maybe his luck was finally up.

6666

Artemesia, Cuba

The group walked wearily towards the large villa that Dom, Mia, and Brian had been staying in while in Cuba. It wasn't LA but it was certainly home for the moment. The one place in the world where they could all relax while they waited for Hobbs to call them back to the front lines.

Mia shot out of the front door and directly into Letty's arms. The women stood in the middle of the front yard, completely unmoving, as they held one another. Dom watched as Brian stepped forward to accept Anthony into his arms from the sweet old housekeeper they had found. Brian nuzzled his son and smiled despite his aching body. It was really good to be back in the company of his wife and son.

Finally Mia pulled back, tears in her eyes, "I missed you every single day. I'm so thankful you're alive."

Letty's voice was gruff although she wasn't crying, "I missed you too. So much!"

"Christian is inside. You and Dom should go in, we'll go around to the back. I've created that promised feast!" Mia didn't mention the gauze wrap she could see under Dom's tee-shirt but she did pat it lightly just to reassure herself that her brother was still alive and well. She also didn't mention that he looked happier than he had in a long time even though from what Brian had told her his marriage was in shambles and they were about to walk into a final mission that certainly promised to kill them all. Tej and Rome took off toward the backyard at a run while Han and Giselle strolled hand in hand behind them. Brian smiled at his wife before pulled her beneath his arm and kissing her mouth.

Dom took Letty's hand as they walked into the villa. Christian was building a block tower with the housekeeper's thirteen year old granddaughter. His forehead was crinkled in concentration as he added a fourth block to the tower. Letty's palms got sweaty as she literally itched to hold him. Dom felt her anxiety and squeezed her hand a bit tighter in solidarity.

The girl noticed them and pointed, "mira Christian! Mira!"

His dark eyes turned toward them and they saw the instant recognition in them. Letty held out her arms, unable to contain herself any longer, "van aqui baby!"

Christian rose in his unsturdy baby fashion and immediately toddled to his mother as fast he could. She lifted him into her arms and held him to her so tightly that he squirmed. She couldn't stop herself from kissing his face over and over, so grateful that he was okay. For his part Christian clutched her shirt, his face buried in her neck, as she held him just as tightly.

Dom rested his hand on Christian's back and then couldn't help himself from pulling Letty to him so he could embrace both of them. This was the moment that he had dreamed of since first holding his son in his arms. He breathed in deep taking in Letty's familiar scent and the sweet baby smell of Christian. A new air of appreciation filled him as he felt the incredible love he had for these two people fill him. Life without Letty had never been full. And now he couldn't imagine how he would go on if anything ever happened to the little boy now grabbing onto him. Dom lifted his easy weight and kissed his cheek.

"I missed you Christian. I love you," the words were so easy to say to the miniature replica of himself.

"Love you," Christian replied.

"Were you such a good boy for Aunt Mia," Letty asked. She was still under Dom's arm and it was so damn comfortable and familiar and right that she couldn't bring herself to move.

"Yeah," he agreed with his mother. His little hand was patting her cheek gently, keeping a constant contact with her. They stood together for a long time. And even though he was just a toddler Christian was content to be held and loved.

"Let's go outside and get some food," Dom directed them. He switched Christian to his left arm because his right shoulder was starting to ache.

"How's that shoulder," Letty asked.

"Not too tender that I can't keep this arm around you for as long as you'll let me," he replied as he pulled her closer. She smiled at him as they moved toward the loaded picnic tables in the middle of the expansive yard and laid a brief kiss on Christian's bare foot. Their family was waiting on them, and right at that moment that was all that mattered.

**This chapter was a labor of love. I plan on one more chapter that will hopefully fulfill all of the Dom centered self-flagellation that so many of you seem to want and complete the story. Again, I am a terrible action writer so if any of it seems inconsistent go easy on me. I look forward to your reviews. **


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